tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18502155154742108652024-03-13T14:16:27.471+02:00KoseBose's NestKosebose's Nest: the place where great art, craft, design, and photography ideas are hatched, explored, and talked about:)kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-23082012957011434132017-07-03T17:56:00.002+03:002017-07-03T17:56:35.077+03:00Summer Moods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was very busy in June, and didn't really have time to do any proper gardening, but as July rolled around and I had my first free weekend in a while, I decided that it is high time to mow the lawn and take care of my flowers. It is nice to be in a summer mood, with the scent of lavender and agastache in the air and the beautiful blooming hydrangea in the corner. Working on the garden is tiring, but the view at the end sure is nice :)<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-51267448136968493392017-04-17T11:15:00.002+03:002017-04-17T18:46:53.595+03:00That Natural Beauty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
For a while now I have been thinking of trying out dying my Easter eggs with natural dyes, but for the last couple of years I have been too lazy or too pressed for time to do it. I had heard that the process is more time consuming and strenuous, so I was a little hesitant, but then again, I knew it would be a nice change to use something that nature has given us instead of those artificial store-bought powder colorants. Get back to basics, so to speak.<br />
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So this year was the year! I bought some purple cabbage, turmeric and onion peels (I had to buy the onions or scout supermarkets that had more peels left over in the onion bins - now that was not weird at all :) let me tell you), and I set out to make my eggs. I did a lot of research online, and I discovered that there are many methods to choose from, but in the end I made the purple cabbage and onion peel colorant in advance, boiling the ingredients for about 40 minutes, and then storing them in the fridge. Then on the next day I boiled some of the eggs in the colorant water, then left them to cool while still in there.<br />
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The color from the onion peels was rich, but not as red as I had seen on some websites. Mine was more of a rusty red-orange, which was still rich and deep, but not the Easter red that I was imagining. For the Easter red, I used a bit of store-bought colorant on a few eggs. The blue from the purple cabbage, however, was a thing of true beauty. Such a wonderful, gentle watercolor-y shade, the blue eggs are definitely my favorite. <a href="http://www.littlerustedladle.com/2014/03/21/true-blue-natural-easter-egg-dyeing/" target="_blank">The Rusted Ladle</a> has a great blog post about blue eggs and ways to make a marbled or speckled egg for the Easter table, and that was a huge inspiration. I left a couple of the eggs to soak in the colorant overnight in the hopes of getting a deep blue color, like some websites suggested, but the color didn't deepen as much as they were showing. Basically, when you use natural dyes, the results are not always predictable, but they are fun and the colors are light and airy, painterly and wonderful.<br />
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As for the yellow, I made the turmeric solution while boiling some of the eggs and then added the eggs to the colorant later. If you use white eggs, you will get a gorgeous yellow color like buttery spring sunlight. Very, very nice. For green, you can soak the eggs in the yellow solution and then in the blue one or vice versa. The greens are also surprisingly nature-like, fresh like springtime.</div>
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All in all, I would say that the experiment was a success. I would still like to research more ways to make a more vibrant red, but the other colors were lovely, and my egg plate looked like a watercolor Easter rainbow.<br />
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More resources: <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/267850/dyeing-eggs-naturally">http://www.marthastewart.com/267850/dyeing-eggs-naturally</a><br />
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And for an extra tasty finish - my homemade Easter bread (this year it turned out extra delicious) and my solution to store-bought Easter bread leftovers - Easter croque monsieur (pan baked Easter bread, glued together with melted chocolate and garnished with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar). Enjoy the photos because the real thing disappeared very quickly :)<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-11440681567227906192016-12-31T11:00:00.000+02:002017-01-01T10:54:50.621+02:00On changes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
2016 has been a conundrum.<br />
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For me, it was full of travel, and exciting travel at that. I was a globe trotter, a wanderluster, an airline frequent flyer. Something I've always dreamed of being. I loved the new experiences, views, and tastes, although I always faced them with careful planning, I guess to counteract my fear of the unknown. I saw the sun rise over Machu Picchu, I lit candles at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, I ate tapas in Barcelona and drank Aperol Spritzers in Italy, went to a SPA in Romania and had dinner in a palazzo in Mdina in Malta. All of these amazing experiences were stuff that dreams are made of, moments that I never thought I'd be able to experience, but I did. That's something to be grateful for, and I am. The best moments of my year were at those trips.<br />
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At the same time, 2016 was not all happy moments for me. It feels almost unappreciative, ungrateful and even whiny to say it, given how many people dream about some of the trips that I have been able to take, but I have not been as happy as I have wanted to be. Sometimes it felt like a struggle. There were disappointments - in people I thought close, in the way some situations have unfolded, in the inability of people to step outside themselves and understand others, in the atmosphere at the office, even in my own inability to make the changes I need. Maybe I needed to learn some lessons. Maybe I was holding on to a past and a closeness that was no longer there, and I needed to snip those invisible threads holding me to move on. Maybe I need to learn that not everything people do is a reflection on me, or somehow my fault, but more of a reflection on them and their own character. I don't know if I've learned that lesson yet.<br />
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And while this year has cast an unflattering light on some relationships, it has illuminated others once again. There were people I feel immensely thankful for, like my family, like friends that feel close despite being thousands of miles away, and old friendships rekindled. I know that for some of my married/in a relationship friends it is hard to relate to my suddenly single and not as happy self, so I am very grateful for those who have been there for me and who have taken time out of their lives and plans to support me. I am trying to be there for them as well.<br />
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As for this year's resolutions, there are some big ones and some small ones, but hopefully they will all bring me joy. Some of them I have done and loved, but somehow have never gotten around to doing again, so I think now is the time. Others are new and exciting. I would appreciate any help with making them come true, as well as any company - so message me if you's like to be part of these.<br />
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Here they are:<br />
- swim in a waterfall<br />
- go on a photography trip<br />
- get a tattoo<br />
- fall in love<br />
- spend all day outside<br />
- go ice skating<br />
- update my Behance profile<br />
- stop feeling guilt<br />
- fly with a balloon<br />
- brush up on my Italian<br />
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But what is more, I will try to embrace change, make it mine, make it exciting. 2017, here I come. </div>
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-62787975517490883652016-12-26T21:56:00.000+02:002016-12-26T21:56:49.725+02:00Christmas Baking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This year's Christmas baking was very successful, if I dare say so myself. Every year I aim to try out a few new recipes - it's my thing. I like trying out new things, and since I don't have that much time during the year, the holiday season seems like a good time to finally do it. Besides, home-made cookies and candy make for great Christmas gifts.<br />
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I always enjoy home-made gifts so much. It's both the gift itself and the fact that the person took time out of their daily schedule and routine to make it that makes it twice as precious as a normal gift, in my opinion. I have so little free time that I always appreciate when someone just as busy has made something for me.<br />
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But back to this year's baking - the recipes I tried out turned out to be amazing - coffee crinkles and Oreo truffles with black and white chocolate. They were sooo tasty, I almost kept them for myself instead of giving them as gifts to my team at work.<br />
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The coffee crinkles were soft and chocolaty and coffee-tasting and completely amazing - they are easily a contestant for the title of my favorite cookies ever. The recipe is from <a href="http://www.abakershouse.com/2012/12/coffee-chocolate-crinkles.html" target="_blank">A Baker's House.</a><br />
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The Oreo truffles were also quite nice and creamy, and I used some nice cooking chocolate for dipping, which totally made a difference. My advice is to use good quality chocolate for such things whenever you can. The recipe is from here: <a href="http://www.cookingclassy.com/oreo-truffles-two-ways/" target="_blank">Cooking Classy.</a><br />
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All in all - a good holiday baking haul and an excellent selection for this year's Christmas gifts.<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-69949198680659760432016-07-24T18:40:00.002+03:002016-07-24T18:40:22.398+03:00#seenfromtheair <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I love sitting in the window seat when flying, and for a while now, I've been snapping photos from the air. I've actually gathered quite the collection of interesting aerial views, and I thought it was time to gather them in one place and share them - hence, my new Instagram profile <a href="https://www.instagram.com/seenfromtheair/">seenfromtheair</a>.<br />
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If you make me go up to the tenth floor of a building and have me go out to the balcony to look down, I'd be mildly terrified, but put me at the window seat of an airplane and I can spend half the journey looking down at the world in fascination. It is an interesting contradiction, but one I am grateful for because it allows me to enjoy my time in the air fully.<br />
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I love how you can see things in a different way when you are up above: the way a city is organized, the progression of low residential construction slowly growing into taller structures and skyscrapers as you get closer to the center, or sometimes the sudden jutting up of the buildings as if out of nowhere, the parks and fields, the rivers winding through or the sandy and rocky seashores. I hope you will enjoy my collection as well and follow it as it grows.<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-18694335604017175292016-06-05T21:59:00.000+03:002016-06-05T21:59:20.489+03:00Art Is Everywhere<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My college friends Leo (from Brazil) and Ana (from Equador), who both now live in London, were here in Bulgaria for a quick vacation. We traveled around for a couple of days, visiting cities, nature reserves, monasteries and old towns, but throughout the trip, the one trend that emerged - apart from the nice weather, good food and great company, of course - was the beautiful art we encountered everywhere. Whether it was frescoes in a church or graffiti on a wall in the neighborhood of Kapana in Plovdiv, I soaked it up and enjoyed it all. I am loving the way street art can transform a place; the kind of art that embraces the city and is embraced back by it. I get quite annoyed at the aimless scribbles that vandalize buildings, but these works of art are something else.<br />
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It's interesting to go from street art to religious art, but they are both gorgeous in their own way. I'd been to the Rila Monastery and Bachkovski Monastery back in the day, but I'd actually forgotten how beautiful these places are. The frescoes are exquisite, and as an artist, I couldn't stop looking. It was a feast for my eyes!</div>
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-79830262773466297872016-05-01T23:03:00.000+03:002016-05-01T23:05:04.874+03:00Easter Impressions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am enjoying the Spring weather this year, even the rainy days. There is something very soothing and rejuvenating about the green grass growing an inch overnight, about the clouds rolling in front of the mountain outside my window, to be chased away by the sun in the afternoon, about the smell of wet earth and the sound of birds chirping. It reminds us that we are alive.<br />
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This year I am very very happy with my Easter eggs - normally I can sort of get nice colors in the end, but only after an exhausting afternoon of cursing the egg dyes that refuse to color the eggs, the blue that turns muddy or the yellow, which dyes my hands, but nothing else. This year there were a few dyes that I wasn't so happy about, but all in all, egg painting was surprisingly easy and mishap-free, and it took me only about an hour. Yey!</div>
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This Easter was also special because I have now been to Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, an exotic and very engaging company team building that featured also a tour of Tel Aviv and some beach time at the Dead Sea. I brought back the 33 candles that you are supposed to light from the holy fire in the church and then extinguish, so this year I lit one of these special candles in my house, wishing for love, health and harmony in my home. I need it.</div>
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Happy holidays, everyone!</div>
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-57388945267929847712016-04-24T19:31:00.000+03:002016-04-24T19:31:57.267+03:00Sunday Morning Rain Is Falling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After an extremely productive Saturday - two presentations written, three loads of laundry done, the first layer of a new painting finished, and my nails manicured :) - my Sunday dawned rainy and slightly lazy. Of course in this case the best thing is to cuddle under a blanket with a book and a cup of tea, which I did for a bit before heading out to lunch.<br />
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I was shopping for a gift for a friend of mine on Thursday evening, and after hours of going from store to store and not finding anything she would like, I took a short break and headed to the bookstore to clear my head. I ended up buying a couple of books, and one of them was an amazing edition of E. E. Cummings poems in Bulgarian, published by <a href="http://books.janet45.com/books/1051">Жанет 45</a>, which became an instant favorite. The poetry is great (which I knew already), but I was also really impressed by the design of the book and the illustrations by Liuba Haleva. Luxurious paper that feels like satin, a matte laminated cover and thoughtful graphics in red, black, white and gold make the poetry book an experience for all your senses. I loved curling up with it and listening to the rain pattering gently.<br />
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Also, I couldn't refrain from sharing a photo of my savory plant - I bought it from a garden store two weeks ago and ever since then it has been growing like crazy, much to my dismay and pleasure, of course. It has brought a definite springtime spirit to my house, and I love it. It smells of new beginnings, and herbs, and nature, and home.<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-6294464167789419072016-04-09T19:31:00.003+03:002016-04-09T19:40:34.276+03:00Long Time, No See<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So I've been gone for a long time...I know...<br />
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Every time I fail to update my blog for an extended period of time, I usually excuse myself with my job, but this time it is only partially my excuse. I did get a big promotion, so work is taking up quite a lot of my time and, what is more important in this case, a lot more of my mental energy. But it's not just that; it's my personal life, too. Things are a bit messy, and if I'm honest, I feel like a bit of a mess myself - curly hair straightening and emotions flying everywhere. Add that to the fact that I just turned thirty, and you get what I'm going through :)<br />
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Actually, my thirtieth birthday bash was a lot of fun - three bars in one night to celebrate the fact that I've made it through three decades. It was a black and red theme, and as party favors to all those brave souls that joined me on this epic bar crawl, I made small abstract paintings in red, black and white. In fact, they turned out really great, so I am thinking of making a series of different colors and maybe turning them into an art show some time in the future. Check them out below, and wish me a great 30th year :)<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-80592088446745723722015-04-06T19:28:00.000+03:002015-04-06T19:28:02.741+03:00Saturday Trip to the Flower Market<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If you are an early riser even on weekends, one of the best places to be on a Saturday morning in Sofia is the flower market Dimitar Petkov. This Saturday was relatively cool, but the sun was shining, so it was a delight to be out and about shopping for veggies and flowers at the market. This past Sunday was Palm Sunday here in Bulgaria, so there were a lot of people buying flowers for their homes or for friends and family that have been named after plants and celebrate their name days on Palm Sunday.<br />
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I was actually too busy to take photos, but I snapped a few here and there, and I also have some of the flowers that I arranged in the vases at home. I also got some herbs to plant, but I will go back sometime in the next few weeks to buy more, once the weather warms. Last year was very rainy and my basil died relatively quickly, probably thinking that fall was coming, but this year I'm hoping that there will be enough sun for it to survive longer.<br />
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Since today we woke up to a bit of a snowstorm, I thought I'd post my flower snapshots with the hope of chasing away the last cold days and ushering in warmer weather for Easter this weekend. It was a bit depressing to have to dig out my warm fluffy jacket again when it's already April.<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-60683707700342830372015-02-07T18:30:00.000+02:002015-02-07T18:36:39.422+02:00My Art Shelf<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have been looking around for artwork for my house ever since I moved in a few years back, and I never seemed to have any luck. Rarely did anything catch my eye, and if it did I usually found some small detail that I didn't like or the work was simply too expensive. As much as I would like to, it would be hard for me to pay thousands of dollars for a painting. I have also browsed Etsy for hours at a time trying to find something for my living room to no avail...until this past December.<br />
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It all started with the painting in the middle, an abstract ink on paper, that I randomly saw on Etsy and loved at first sight. Because my living room is in coffee, chocolate and cream colors, this work fit perfectly with my decor and the other pieces that I have painted myself for the room. After that, it seemed that great pieces of art were simply falling into my lap from Etsy's pages, and I ended up with this small collection at very reasonable prices. I am very pleased with my new art shelf, so I thought I'd give a shout out to the artists:<br />
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<b>Forest </b>- art print by Schall Eszter<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/schalleszter">https://www.etsy.com/shop/schalleszter</a><br />
This shop has really cute art by the Hungarian illustrator Schall Eszter - birds in the forest, drunk foxes singing, elephants jumping rope, orange frogs and Eskimos fishing. I chose this adorable print of a bird near a cherry tree to keep up with the bird theme I have going on at home.<br />
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<b>Autumn Treescape - </b>linocut by Giuliana Lazzerini<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBluebirdGallery">https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBluebirdGallery</a><br />
I took some printmaking classes in college, so I couldn't pass up on a hand-pulled linocut with tiny birds hand-drawn in ink. Another must-have for my bird theme. There are also a lot of fox and hare prints on her Etsy shop as well.<br />
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<b>Moon and Stars - </b>watercolor by BluePalette<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/bluepalette#">https://www.etsy.com/shop/bluepalette#</a><br />
This is a real favorite of mine. I have worked with watercolor since my first art class when I was four, so I can appreciate the delicate beauty of this technique and the craftsmanship it requires. BluePalette's shop has these amazing circle watercolors that are truly great finds. They are little gems, and I wish I could buy a bunch of these and make a whole gallery wall with them. Not saying I won't at some point :)<br />
I love the night sky, especially in the summer when it is full of stars and everything is quiet in the dead of night, but you are awake and basking in its serenity. This is what this painting reminds me of, so I had to get it. At 20 dollars, I think it is a bargain.<br />
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<b>Abstract Ink Drawing - </b>ink drawing by ComArt<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ComArt">https://www.etsy.com/shop/ComArt</a><br />
This is the painting that started it all, and I still love it. Some people have asked me what is it that I see in it, since it is basically a splotch of ink, but I tell them that it is beautiful. I don't know what it is, but I find it truly beautiful and harmonious in its composition. This artist has some great stuff.<br />
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<b>Minimalist Modern Linocut - </b>linocut by Toni Point<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/printwork">https://www.etsy.com/shop/printwork</a><br />
If you are looking for something minimalist, this is the place to go. I really like the play of shapes and positive-negative space in the print I bought. It is dynamic and simple at the same time. This goes to show that linocuts don't have to be ornamental, but they can play in the abstract realm as well.<br />
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<b>Watercolor Illustration</b>- glicee print by Victoria<br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/VictoriAtelier">https://www.etsy.com/shop/VictoriAtelier</a><br />
There was no actual title given to this piece by the author, as far as I've seen, but I call it my "Sun painting", so that in my collection I have a sun and I have a moon (the little round watercolor). This abstract piece also looks great, and it has an incredible richness of colors. The fact that it's not all bright jewelled tones makes the depth of hues even better - the neutral background in beige, cream and cappuccino flows to beautiful little speckles of gold, navy, sea blue and aubergine. I would have loved to own the original, but since it was not available, I decided to get the glicee print and enjoy the painting anyway.<br />
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So there it is, my modest little collection, but one that I now love to look at every day. As an artist myself, I find that having art in one's home makes it cozy and unique, and I hope that you all can find something that you like out there - there are great little galleries around Sofia and abroad, and there is always Etsy.<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-53855218444588687972015-02-03T20:50:00.000+02:002015-02-03T20:56:01.591+02:00Surva Festival of Masquerade Games 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is no secret that I love festivals, and ethnic festivals are definitely among my favorites. This is the fourth time I've gone to the Surva Festival of Masquerade Games, and it was probably the best one yet. The costumes, the folk music, the crowds - it's all incredibly fun and intricately beautiful. This year I got a reporter's badge and I could once again be in with the performers, having the wonderful opportunity to photograph them up close and personal. But that wasn't what made this year the best. Maybe it was the longer festival route, starting at the church "St. Ivan Rilski" and moving to the main stage, then passing through the Survakari village with the food court and finishing at the stage next to the Palace of Culture. Or maybe it was just that I let myself wander around more and photograph a little less, immersing myself in the joyous spirit, the loud noise and vibrant colors. I had a marvelous time among the scary monsters, the men masked as Baba Yaga, the clang of the cow bells and the embroidered skirts of the Bulgarian national costumes. Even the fires are welcoming.<br />
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<b>The Tradition</b> </div>
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For those of your who don't know, or have not read my previous posts <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2011/02/scary-monsters-for-good-luck.html">here</a> and <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2013/02/photos-for-surva-festival-of-masquerade.html">here</a>, I should explain that the <i>kukeri, </i>mummers dressed in scary masks and costumes made of animal furs, horns, feathers and adorned with bells, gather at the beginning of every year to honor an ancient Thracian ritual of scaring the evil spirits away. This festival in Pernik is one of the biggest in Bulgaria - hundreds of <i>kukeri </i>of any age flock here to become a part of this long-lasting tradition. In fact, the little kids are my favorite, so every year I try to photograph at least a couple of these smallest participants in the craziness. </div>
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<b>Animal Kingdom </b></div>
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This year there was also an abundance of animals, both real and fake - from donkeys and mules to this stork guy with red tights and a rope-controlled beak that snaps when pulled. The stork even carries a <i>martenitsa</i>! The masks were also great, as usual, horned, toothed, hairy and even with nests on their heads (my favorite), and some were ridiculously tall and made of a variety of game (crazy). </div>
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The only downside to the costumes, besides the fact that the bells and masks usually weigh a ton, is that they kind of smell like a sheep / goat / cow / bird. Not everyone had that problem, though. The group from Kazanluk, the town that is famous for its rose oil production, was the best smelling group of the whole festival. They had dabbed all their costumes in rose oil, so the luscious scent was around them like a flowery cloud. Maybe this is why they were mostly girls :)<br />
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<b>The Food Court - Bulgarian Style</b><br />
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In the West it's McDonald's or fish and chips; in Bulgaria it is roast pork or lamb on a spit, sausages hanging from a rail, <i>kebapcheta </i>and <i>kiofteta </i>sizzling on the grill and special festival wine in every glass. If I have to say one thing that Bulgarians will always do on a holiday, it's enjoy their food. Eating is a long and rich social affair, accompanied by generous amounts of liquor. This festival did not disappoint in that regard, either. I'm pretty sure that at least half of the participants and the audience were indulging in more than a little wine or grape <i>rakia. </i>By the way, notice how the pig is being turned on the spit...yes, that's a steering wheel :)<br />
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And what is the other usual staple at festivals in Bulgaria? The street stalls with Turkish Delight, traditional pottery, and souvenirs. You could definitely find some treasures among the usual junk this year, and the painted pots always remind of delicious home-cooked meals. All in all, it was a good day!</div>
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-39042330708088517772015-01-04T20:41:00.000+02:002015-01-04T20:42:47.710+02:00Soft Pumpkin Cookies and Goodbye Vacation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Like I said in my <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-sweet-side-of-holidays.html">slice-and-bake cookies post</a>, I have decided to let loose during the holidays and indulge in making and eating some homemade sweets. This year I made a ton of <i>tikvenik</i> (pumpkin pastry with cinnamon and walnuts) for our Christmas and New Year celebrations, but I ended up with a piece of leftover pumpkin that I didn't use. I was wondering what to do with it (it was not enough for my favorite baked pumpkin soup) when I came across a recipe for soft pumpkin cookies on <a href="http://hranatazadushata.blogspot.com/2014/11/blog-post_19.html">Food for the soul</a>. It just so happens that I do usually like my cookies soft, even chocolate chip cookies, so I though I'd give the recipe a go. I changed the filling a little bit, though: instead of cream+sugar+butter+curds+mascarpone, I did a simpler cream+a little bit of powdered sugar filling, and for the marmalade filling, I used my homemade quince marmalade without much added butter. I liked the recipe, and the cookies turned out very delicious indeed. I will enjoy them on my last day of freedom before the work week and the work year officially starts :)<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-26406440769487468842015-01-01T12:00:00.000+02:002015-01-02T12:40:46.718+02:00All That Happened in 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>So, what happened in 2014?</b><br />
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Commissioned art (read more about one of the pieces <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2014/08/poetry-commissioned-original-artwork.html">here</a>)<br />
New job!<br />
Team building in Verona and the Tyrolean Alps<br />
Greek road trip to Thessaloniki, Lefkada, Meteora and Katerini<br />
Two weddings: being a bridesmaid at my friend Lilly's and a guest at the other wedding in Arbanasi (read more <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2014/10/lilly-alex-wedding-invitation-design.html">here</a>)<br />
Museum Night in Sofia<br />
One Design Week in Plovdiv (read more <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2014/07/one-design-week-2014-forum-highlights.html">here</a>, <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2014/07/one-design-week-2014-design-bazaar.html">here</a> and <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2014/07/sofia-design-week-2014-kapana-logo.html">here</a>)<br />
Product training in Osijek, Croatia<br />
Reenactment of the April Uprising in Koprivshtica (read more <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-photo-walk-around-koprivshtica.html">here</a>)<br />
Day trip to the Krushuna Falls<br />
Holiday parties and reunions with friends<br />
10 year reunion at the American College of Sofia<br />
Some articles about me (read <a href="http://www.marycatherinestarr.com/blog/love-this-oil-abstracts-with-oomph">here</a> and <a href="https://acsthefountain.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/%D0%BD%D1%8F%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%86%D0%B8-%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81-%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%BD/">here</a>)<br />
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and that's just in brief :)<br />
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<b>And what to expect (and hope for) in 2015?</b><br />
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More commissioned art.<br />
New products in my art shop (stay tuned!).<br />
Travel, travel, travel! Somehow it always seems like I don't travel enough, even if this year alone I had three trips abroad and many more around Bulgaria. I am kicking off next year with a birthday bash with friends in London, and we'll see how it goes from there.<br />
One Design Week again, and maybe this time I will try to participate in the bazaar if I have time.<br />
More weddings coming up.<br />
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And let's hope for:<br />
Healthy lifestyle and lots of movement<br />
More time spent with friends<br />
Only happiness on the personal front<br />
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<b>New year, here I come!</b><br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-30646595913671927152014-12-30T23:27:00.000+02:002014-12-30T23:27:37.634+02:00The Sweet Side of the Holidays<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The holidays are usually my time to take a stab at new recipes, especially if they involve baking and sweets. I have given myself a free pass from my healthy diet for the month of December, so cookies were definitely on my agenda. I even had the grand plan of making big batches of cookies as Christmas treats, but between reunions with friends, collage making, and cooking for dinners and parties, I never found the time. Which is why these are not Christmas cookies, but New Year's Eve cookies :)<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A2CKBmJbSXc/VKMT1vkfsgI/AAAAAAAABF4/o4aq8t__AHw/s1600/IMG_9107_1web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A2CKBmJbSXc/VKMT1vkfsgI/AAAAAAAABF4/o4aq8t__AHw/s1600/IMG_9107_1web.jpg" height="370" width="555" /></a></div>
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I seem to have a habit of trying out recipes from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">Smitten Kitchen</a> around Christmas (two years ago it was the <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/01/clementine-cake/">clementine cake</a>, for example), and this year was no exception. The challenge was making <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/12/a-slice-and-bake-cookie-palette/">slice-and-bake cookies</a>, and I dare say that they turned out pretty good. I haven't been the best at making cookies in the past; I seem to be so afraid of having them be raw that I end up overbaking them and having to eat a batch of close to "break your teeth" hard cookies. Not this time. I have learned my lesson. I left them in the oven for just the right amount of time, and I took them out even when they still looked a bit soft to me, but it was the correct thing to do. They turned out just right.<br />
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I modified the recipe a little bit by making the cranberry version of the cookie with coconut, and I also made a chocolate cookie with mini chocolate chips and walnuts, which turned out very tasty. There is a fancy hotel close to my office where we usually have work events, and they always serve cookies like these at coffee breaks. Now I can make my own coffee break at home. Since I don't drink coffee, it will be more of a tea break. With cookies.<br />
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Happy holidays, everyone!</div>
kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-77719473464288457212014-10-03T21:23:00.000+03:002014-10-03T21:23:44.269+03:00Lilly & Alex Wedding Invitation Design<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been months now since my close friend Lilly's wedding (you can see Lilly & Alex's engagement photos <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2014/03/fall-couples-photo-shoot-with-lilly.html">here</a>), but it was one of those beautiful events that you won't forget for some time. As a bridesmaid and the "artistic one" in our group, I was tasked with the extremely important and highly classified mission of creating and printing the wedding invitations.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W2NhSHDfxBA/VCwvKF8yp4I/AAAAAAAAA_c/eBTefSaA7lE/s1600/KameliyaAtanasova_DSC8935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W2NhSHDfxBA/VCwvKF8yp4I/AAAAAAAAA_c/eBTefSaA7lE/s1600/KameliyaAtanasova_DSC8935.jpg" height="369" width="555" /></a></div>
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Lilly had decided that the color of the wedding (apart from the obvious white) would be purple, so it was logical that the invitations would have to follow this color scheme. At first I thought that it would be nice to create a monogram / logo for the wedding like I did for my friend Dani's wedding <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2011/10/daniela-and-rossens-wedding-logo.html">here</a>, and I actually came up with some pretty good designs that you can see below. They feature the first letters of their names in the Cyrillic alphabet.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OtiV2af5exw/VCwv2cBf5tI/AAAAAAAABAQ/mY7SWgrwBbs/s1600/lilly%26sasho-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OtiV2af5exw/VCwv2cBf5tI/AAAAAAAABAQ/mY7SWgrwBbs/s1600/lilly%26sasho-01.jpg" height="233" width="555" /></a></div>
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However, because Lilly and Alex wanted their wedding to be elegant in a classical way, the couple and I decided to use a more timeless approach and simply have their full names arranged together in a beautiful script. Next came the actual invitation. I created three different designs as a starting point in order to be able to give the couple some food for thought and see what kinds of styles they like.<br />
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They liked both the design with the bride and groom and the delicate flowers and ribbons design, but they ended up choosing the bride and groom. I made some tweaks to the text and visuals, we decided on a Pantone color to be used, and, finally, I had a beautiful design ready for printing.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZoV9LQjNYI/VC2eEL2I3JI/AAAAAAAABB4/ayt8_2sFmNY/s1600/lilly%2Binvite-final%2Bpantone-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZoV9LQjNYI/VC2eEL2I3JI/AAAAAAAABB4/ayt8_2sFmNY/s1600/lilly%2Binvite-final%2Bpantone-1.jpg" height="280" width="555" /></a></div>
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We decided on a white pearl paper, which is a standard choice for weddings, but a really elegant one. The combination between the purple color and the pearly white turned out to be sparkly and beautiful.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xxg6hAjdJV8/VC7mNZBC1tI/AAAAAAAABCQ/EFIQlD589p8/s1600/IMG_8266_1web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xxg6hAjdJV8/VC7mNZBC1tI/AAAAAAAABCQ/EFIQlD589p8/s1600/IMG_8266_1web.jpg" height="359" width="555" /></a></div>
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In addition to the invitation and envelopes, the couple decided to give the modern version of a "mixed tape" as party favors, namely a "mixed CD" with the favorite songs of the bride and the groom. I designed the CD and its packaging in the same style as the invitation, and printed it on the same pearl paper. The guests loved these party favors - they were a big hit!<br />
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As finishing touches for the wedding I also created a label for the special wedding <i>rakia, </i>a traditional Bulgarian fruit brandy, as well as a label for the wish book for the bride and groom that you can see below. All in all, it was an elegant affair with elegant stationary and design.<br />
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And here we are, the bridesmaids, in all of our purple glory :)<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-30387606085837334042014-08-31T21:32:00.002+03:002014-08-31T21:32:21.955+03:00The Good Life: Wedding Gift Abstract Collage <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was at a lovely wedding in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbanasi,_Bulgaria">Arbanasi</a> yesterday, a mere day after Pavel and I got back from our Thessaloniki-Lefkada-Meteora-Paralia Katerini Greek trip, so it has been an eventful two weeks. Just before we left for Greece, however, I decided that I had to add a little something to the customary money envelope that everyone gives at Bulgarian weddings (for those of you who don't know, pretty much nobody here registers for gifts when they plan their wedding, so guests usually contribute money instead of presents at the celebration in order to avoid a "two juicers and three toasters" situation). I was rummaging through my tempera painted paper stash, and I found such a vivid piece with a warm orange and magenta base and violet and green accents that I decided it was perfect for a wedding gift collage. I added another fiery orange piece and a green accent, and the end result is below.<br />
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I called it "The Good Life" because it is colorful, dynamic and rich, and I hope that the bride and groom enjoy the best life possible together. If the wedding is something to judge by, I think that they will do just fine. I think that the guests, and especially the best man, who danced away the night and even took a dip in the pool with his clothes on, had tons and tons of fun.</div>
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Here is "The Good Life" again:<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-11220678735317365452014-08-16T10:22:00.002+03:002014-08-16T10:23:28.965+03:00Poetry: Commissioned Original Artwork<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Some time ago I sold my painting Beginning through my Etsy to a woman in the US. Little did I know that this client was no other than the Baltimore-based art consultant Robin Bozzuto. Later she and her partner Lexie Greene (<a href="http://www.bozzutogreeneart.com/">Bozzuto Greene Art</a>) contacted me to discuss the opportunity to paint commissioned works, which, as you can imagine, I was very excited to do. Luckily for me they had a client who was interested in my work, and this is how I landed my first big commission, a large painting with dimensions 132 x 66 cm.<br />
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The client wanted the painting to have a color scheme similar to a painting I sold a while ago (<a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2012/07/pale-light-summer-abstract.html">Back to Life</a>), so I the work turned out really beautiful with its pale yellows, whites and fresh blues. I added a touch of pale pink here and there for visual interest, and I am very happy with the way it turned out. It reminded me of morning light through the branches of a blooming tree, and the mood the artwork creates when placed in a room is very serene, yet cheerful.
Packaging and shipping the work was quite the interesting experience, but thankfully I had Pavel and his Toyota 4Runner to assist me in the task :) I’m not sure I would have fit the package in my car. As you can see on the photo below, it is pretty much as big as I am.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ND9VK7gQq0/U-8Fsycwi2I/AAAAAAAAA98/8wkbawOvytI/s1600/photo%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ND9VK7gQq0/U-8Fsycwi2I/AAAAAAAAA98/8wkbawOvytI/s1600/photo%2B(2).JPG" height="740" width="555" /></a><br />
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I really hope the client likes the work; I have certainly enjoyed painting it.<br />
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You can read more about Robin Bozzuto and Lexie Greene <a href="http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2014/3/robin-bozzuto-and-lexie-greene-want-to-be-the-go-to-girls-for-collectors-who-love-maryland-art">here</a> and at<a href="http://www.bozzutogreeneart.com/"> their official website</a>. </div>
kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-854544855713260452014-07-29T21:48:00.000+03:002014-07-29T21:48:52.420+03:00Stardust Original Artwork<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I love giving red paintings as gifts to friends because they are vibrant and full of life, but last week I decided to break out of this tradition. This time when I decided to paint something as a birthday gift for a friend, I thought I would do a piece in dark blue. I kept picturing something fresh and crisp, with a sort of "starry quality," which I ended up calling "Stardust." It has a new home now, and I hope its new owner likes it.<br />
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Also, stay tuned for more artwork news from me. Just last week I finished my first big commissioned work, which is now drying and waiting to be shipped. Fingers crossed that everything will be fine! I will post the image once I mail the canvas.<br />
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So here is "Stardust":<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-73648913465549546322014-07-21T22:30:00.000+03:002014-07-21T22:30:36.954+03:00One Design Week 2014: Forum Highlights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Fashion fact of the day: the dress code for this year's One Design Forum was graphic pants and scarves. From years of observation it seems to me that designers and various creative people love scarves, so every year you can see a wide variety of them at the Forum. I think that next year I might do a Fashion @ Design week blog post where I would photograph every person wearing a scarf. It will be like my own little scarf directory.<br />
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But let's talk more about the lecturers at the event, not only about the accessories of the audience. I can’t deny that the Forum is my favorite part of Design Week, and every year I look forward to that one or two days of creative ideas. This year, just like some of the previous years, I will write about some of the highlights that I enjoyed and found interesting.<br />
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I have always loved tinkering with fonts, for example. Back in high school, I always ended up using some new free font I had found online for my presentations and assignments. I think I was a bit of a design geek back then (and probably still am), and I used every opportunity I got to have fun with fonts. Perhaps this is why I really enjoyed the lecture by <a href="http://www.type-together.com/" target="_blank">TypeTogether</a>, a type foundry by Jose Scaglione from Argentina and Veronika Burian from Prague.<br />
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The studio is focused on creating fonts for longer texts, to be used in newspapers, books and magazines, for example, as well as creating fonts that can look good no matter what the quality of the paper or printing is. Some of their well-known fonts are Bree, Adelle, Abril, and Tablet Gothic. For me it was very useful to hear about the challenges that designers face when creating fonts to be printed on bad paper (like newspapers), so that the letters remain legible and with character. It is amazing what a difference of a part of a millimeter in a letter can make when we are talking about fonts and their readability; font creators work on a small scale to create a big impact in terms of how a text is perceived. I have played around with the idea of creating my own font, but I don’t feel competent enough to do it yet. However, this lecture was a step forward. It also pleased the geek in me immensely :)<br />
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Another lecture that I found engaging was that by Sven Ehmann from the publishing house <a href="http://shop.gestalten.com/">Gestalten.</a> The publisher concentrates on books about cutting-edge visual culture, and as such, its creative director works to set the overall direction of the company’s work, as well as to come up with new topics for books and to decide what projects would go into those books to make them interesting and exciting for the reader. One of Gestalten’s latest books is <i><a href="http://shop.gestalten.com/shopwindow/outsiders.html">The Outsiders</a></i>, which deals with the “refreshing and evolving ethos of today’s smartly successful outdoor and lifestyle entrepreneurs and features interviews with key players from across the outdoor sector.”<br />
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The book features a wide variety of points of view on the subject of doing something outside; it is a collection of cool products, interesting outdoor living and apparel companies, new trends in outdoor sports and experiences, beautiful photos and illustrations, acting as an inspiration to those interested in the lifestyle. Head over to Gestalten’s website <a href="http://shop.gestalten.com/">http://shop.gestalten.com/</a> to browse through their book collection.<br />
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I was also fascinated by the lecture on information design by <a href="http://catalogtree.net/">Catalogtree</a>, a Dutch design studio that specializes in infographics. Information design is such a specific branch of design, and it requires a particular way of thinking, as well as a talent to distill complex trends and data sets into clear and exciting visual images. Not everyone can do that and have such talents, but it seemed to me that the Catalogtree team was quite good at it. I enjoyed hearing about their part in visualizing data for a documentary about trading called <a href="http://catalogtree.net/projects/MONEY%20%26%20SPEED%20app">"Money & Speed: Inside the Black Box."</a> Also, I liked the <a href="http://unspeak.submarinechannel.com/">Unspeak</a> project that they worked on, which explores how language can manipulate our understanding of events, based on a book by Steven Poole. You can see the project at the following link: <a href="http://unspeak.submarinechannel.com/dictionary/">http://unspeak.submarinechannel.com/dictionary/</a>.<br />
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Several interesting ideas were presented by design duo <a href="http://www.studioswine.com/">Studio Swine</a>, who like to travel, but also to recycle, which ultimately leads to culture-specific ecological projects that have the potential to help anyone create design objects out of trash or waste. An issue that they tried to tackle, for example, was plastic waste in the sea that is bad for the fauna and for the fishermen. They devised a little portable furnace and molds that help fishermen made little stools out of the plastic that they catch in their nets. You can see the video below:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="312" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/58461689" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="555"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/58461689">Sea Chair</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/studioswine">Studio Swine</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Head over to their website <a href="http://www.studioswine.com/projects">http://www.studioswine.com/projects</a> for more projects like this one.<br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/ushev">Theodore Ushev</a> showed some great posters from his portfolio, but I really didn’t like how bitter he sounded about everything.<i> Oh, poor graphic designers, selling their work to clients with no taste like hookers sell their bodies, how awful</i> (pretty much what his opinion was). I mean, enough already. It’s a business like any other, and most graphic designers are pretty far from being the misunderstood geniuses that they think they are. It’s a bit of a cliché, the idea of the designer who is so amazing, but who is forced by evil clients to produce ugly projects. Sure, I know from my own experience that you have to make some compromises when working commercially in order to please the client, but I think that if you are such an amazing designer, you will find a way to produce something great even when the client wants something that you don’t agree with. Then again, Mr. Ushev will probably say I am young and naïve :) Although, don’t constraints usually make people look at things in a fresh and new way?<br />
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Anyway, Theodore Ushev is now best known for his animated shorts, and you can see some of them <a href="https://www.blogger.com/here%20https://www.nfb.ca/explore-all-directors/theodore-ushev">here https://www.nfb.ca/explore-all-directors/theodore-ushev</a><br />
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Finally, despite my initial misgivings, I did enjoy <a href="http://www.sagmeisterwalsh.com/">Jessica Walsh</a>’s lecture on advertising design and her personal projects. The Forum booklet description of her started with the fact that she is young and beautiful, so you should excuse my reluctance to take her seriously at first. However, she was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed her presentation, which had to do with work and play, and how these two concepts should go hand in hand when you are a designer and/or you work in advertising (and in at least a couple of other spheres as well, probably). She is quite the gutsy young woman, not afraid to put herself out there (<a href="http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2012/june/getting-naked-with-sagmeister">naked or not</a>) and do some crazy stuff or turn her relationship attempt into a web/design/blog project (see <a href="http://fortydaysofdating.com/">40 Days of Dating</a>). By the way, her <a href="http://fortydaysofdating.com/">40 Days of Dating</a> project will be made into a movie, which lead me and some designers I was with at the Forum with to have a discussion about how it is very important to be at the right place at the right time. If someone makes a project like that one in Bulgaria, people might notice and talk about it, and some TV shows might invite you to speak, but it will probably end there. If you do the same in the US, however, you get on the Today show and then Hollywood comes knocking, buying the rights to your life story for millions of dollars. Location, location, location!<br />
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Anyway, I liked some of the work projects that Jessica showed us, such as logo design for a shop called <a href="http://thisisstory.com/">"Story"</a>, which changes its theme and decor every six weeks, the Levi’s "We are all workers" billboard, and their overall work on the Aishti and Aizone brands.<br />
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<a href="https://www.behance.net/gallery/4712999/STORY"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Qa6ruCnd7k/U81mqD4rcHI/AAAAAAAAA8s/Y1c_2sSQ7DI/s1600/story.jpg" /></a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="312" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/31109402" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="555"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/31109402">We Are All Workers - Levi's Gears Billboard</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/satelliteoffice">Satellite Office</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/58981812?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="555"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/58981812">Aizone, Spring Summer 13, Behind the scenes</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user13893723">Sagmeister & Walsh</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="312" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/72424814?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="555"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/72424814">Aizone FW13 Behind the Scenes</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user13893723">Sagmeister & Walsh</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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One interesting thing that she said was the fact that they only present one idea to the client when they make a pitch, which is very unusual in advertising. Back when I worked in CAS, we always presented the client with more than one idea, I guess both as insurance that if a client really doesn’t like our first idea, we have backups and as a proof that we have put a lot of effort in working on their brief. However, Jessica explained (and I tend to agree with her when I think about it) that when the client sees a couple of things, they usually end up wanting to take one element from one campaign, another from a second campaign and so on, making the final design look like a Frankenstein of sorts, all patched up together and not quite working.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="312" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/80495579?byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="555"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/80495579">Jessica Walsh</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/likeknowslike">Like Knows Like</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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I’ll end this post on this note: it would be great if all of us could find something to do where <b>work=play</b>. Sometimes that works for me, sometimes I can’t manage to do it. How about you?<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-14186834939607404152014-07-08T23:38:00.001+03:002014-07-08T23:44:25.221+03:00One Design Week 2014 - Design Bazaar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Every year the Design Bazaar at the end of One Design Week becomes better and better. This year there was some phenomenal stuff by local artists and designers working in Plovdiv, as well as by some design studios from Sofia. I ended up spending quite a lot of money there, but it was all worth it, I think. I love having handmade stuff, and I also love giving handmade objects as gifts. I think that it is very nice to know that you've been given something that's one of a kind. I have always loved handmade jewelry as well, so I ended up getting a couple of items from a very cute local shop, which was not really a part of the bazaar but had interesting stuff all the same. Since brooches are my new thing, I got an earrings and brooch set in beige and green, as well as a bird brooch (I am obsessed with birds, yes).<br />
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So here are some highlights from my design shopping experience:<br />
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<b>Piron </b><br />
<a href="http://pirondesign.com/bg/">http://pirondesign.com/bg/</a><br />
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This was by far my favorite booth at the bazaar, and I ended up purchasing one of these flower trays for my mom. The trays and coasters on the photo are made of pressed flowers covered in transparent resin with a wooden frame and beautiful decorative handles. They have such a rustic charm, and they were so fresh and lovely that I couldn't resist getting the one with the purple and yellow flowers on the photo below.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IRPYJbtc33g/U7xCR7UXFzI/AAAAAAAAA48/AF6GsfHleio/s1600/2014-06-29+11.54.32web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IRPYJbtc33g/U7xCR7UXFzI/AAAAAAAAA48/AF6GsfHleio/s1600/2014-06-29+11.54.32web.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>HandДжоб</b><br />
<a href="http://www.handdjob.net/">http://www.handdjob.net/</a><br />
<a href="http://knitrebel.blogspot.com/">http://knitrebel.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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The way I first got introduced to this interesting brand was by standing in line to get a croissant at the One Design Week Forum breakfast bar, and I saw that the girl in front of me had this really cool leather bag with a funny tag saying HandДжоб on its little pocket. I thought that the name was quite clever and funny, so I looked it up online, and I decided that I might buy a bag once I get back to Sofia. To my pleasant surprise, the designer had a booth at the bazaar, so I bought a bag there! It's the red one form the photo below.<br />
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<b>evgeniya tsancova contemporary jewellery </b><br />
<a href="http://evgeniyatsancova.blogspot.com/">http://evgeniyatsancova.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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This jewelry designer makes really cool necklaces, bracelets and rings of knotted cords or laces (not sure what to call them). Head over to her blog for some more designs.<br />
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<a href="http://evgeniyatsancova.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HFBVpLjCioc/U7xNEcW01mI/AAAAAAAAA5k/0SzGtsmXL0g/s1600/IMG_1466web.jpg" /></a></div>
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Photos from <a href="http://evgeniyatsancova.blogspot.com/">http://evgeniyatsancova.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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I also bought a very cute "KoseBose" mug (meaning it has a cute birdie) and a very vintagy black-and-white polka dot brooch that I can't wait to wear. They are by artist <b>Albena Djokova </b>(<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlbenaDjokova">https://www.facebook.com/AlbenaDjokova</a>) Here they are:<br />
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There was much more to see at the bazaar, of course, and also in the Kapana neighborhood, but I can't possibly write about it all. Here are some other interesting shops, designers and their work:</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/find.ser/">https://www.facebook.com/find.ser/</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/whatamonstar">https://www.facebook.com/whatamonstar</a><br />
<a href="http://viktorpavlov.jimdo.com/">http://viktorpavlov.jimdo.com/</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Rakodelnicata">https://www.facebook.com/Rakodelnicata</a><br />
<a href="http://malukindian.blogspot.com/">http://malukindian.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/yana-tankovska-design/236167473120229">https://www.facebook.com/pages/yana-tankovska-design/236167473120229</a><br />
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And just a few words about Cable Lovers: awesome light fixtures! Both retro and modern, and very interesting! Check them out here: <a href="http://cablelovers.com/en/">http://cablelovers.com/en/</a><br />
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<a href="http://cablelovers.com/en/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NO92-Q6_Ghg/U7xWb20DQ3I/AAAAAAAAA6o/HgZ-Qw5yw5E/s1600/cablelovers.jpg" /></a></div>
Photo from <a href="http://cablelovers.com/en/">http://cablelovers.com/en/</a><br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-45072071608976607292014-07-03T11:58:00.000+03:002014-07-03T11:58:53.210+03:00One Design Week 2014 - Kapana Logo Deisgn Contest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US">Those of
you who have followed my blog over the years know that I am quite the fan of
Sofia Design Week, and I try to attend the forum every year if I can. This
year, to my surprise, Sofia Design Week became One Design Week (named after the
organizers, One) and was moved to the city of Plovdiv. At first I was annoyed.
How dare they move my favorite event of the year to another city!? What are they thinking!? What insolence! I wasn't even sure that I would be able to go at all if a work thing came up for that weekend. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">But then I sort of liked the idea. True, I couldn't spend a full week in Plovdiv browsing the design exhibitions and attending various events, but I had quite a lot of fun taking a weekend to roam the streets and galleries of this charming city. I spend most of Saturday at the Forum, which I will talk about in a separate post, as usual, but I spent my brakes visiting the nearby design shows, walking along the pedestrian zone and enjoying some parmigiano, sun-dried tomatoes, sausages, and canolli at an Italian food fair in downtown Plovdiv. </span><br />
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Walking along the pedestrian zone, I also had the chance to look at the logo designs of the finalists in the Absolut Kapana logo design contest. For those of you who don't know, Kapana is a 19th century neighborhood in downtown Plovdiv, which used to house various worksmiths, but has at the edge of oblivion as a cultural playground in the past few years. Now the manucipality of Plovdiv is trying to revive the area as an artistic meeting place, and ABSOLUT joined in the fun by organizing a contest to find a new symbol for Kapana, focusing both on its past and on its artistic future. You can read more about the contest on its official website <a href="http://www.absolutkapana.bg/">www.absolutkapana.bg</a><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">I snapped a few photos of the entries of the finalists (not all of them) with my phone, which I have posted below with a short commentary for each one. Unfortunately, the logo that I liked best (and even those I liked almost as much as that) was not the winner. I am sure that there will be people who don't agree with my opinions, asking <i>who am I </i>to critisize the work of others. Oh well. They'll have to deal with it. After all, these are just my humble opinions:) </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">Let me start by talking about my favorite logo. Perhaps it is not all that minimalistic as is the trend in logo design lately, but it captured my attention right away, which is what a logo should be doing in the first place. I think that this logo carries a certain feeling of mysticism that is inherent in the Kapana area, and it does a great job of conveying the uniqueness of the traditional Bulgarian architecture of the Revival in a modern way, without having too many unnecessary details. Also, I think that the origami-like structure (see the tshirt) that is made to resemble the map of the area gives the design an artistic, DIY, craftsy look that I like very much. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mWVd0wd5HT0/U7P7g6p44yI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/yT-LGXu47H4/s1600/kapana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mWVd0wd5HT0/U7P7g6p44yI/AAAAAAAAA2Q/yT-LGXu47H4/s1600/kapana.jpg" height="391" width="555" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Photo from http://www.absolutkapana.bg/</span> </div>
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This next logo is nice and colorful, but for me it fell just short of being original, perhaps because I think I have seen a million other logos with the same bright colors and angular shapes online and in stock vector websites. It is visually pleasing, and I do like the design of the bag, but otherwise I felt it was too generic for Kapana. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-41lm4x5ID8s/U7QEBCOR37I/AAAAAAAAA2o/YBYl6Y1xDAg/s1600/2014-06-28+13.56.36web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-41lm4x5ID8s/U7QEBCOR37I/AAAAAAAAA2o/YBYl6Y1xDAg/s1600/2014-06-28+13.56.36web.jpg" height="391" width="555" /></a></div>
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I liked this next logo by Elena Kalpakchieva reminds me of the Hudertwasserhaus in Vienna, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. It is good because the logo conveys a sense of cultural richness and the uniqueness of the location with its colors and building shapes, but at the same time it is bad because, well, it evokes the Hudertwasserhaus, which is nowhere near Plovdiv. But perhaps that's just me.<br />
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The logo by Boris Bratkov is another favorite of mine, even if it is probably the most abstract in the selection. To me it seems like it is also loosely based on the map of Kapana, and also emphasizes its desired status as a meeting point for diverse artists. Furthermore, I can see a certain letter K shape in the lattice of objects in the logo, which reminds me of the name of the neighborhood. If you go to the contest website and leaf through the finalist booklet, you can also see some other applications of the logo that the designer has presented in terms of themes (astronomy, typography, etc.) that I really liked.<br />
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The following logo is very focused on the letter K, and even though the designer explains that it is constructed of architectural shapes typical for the neighborhood, I can’t help but be focused entirely on the K shape. If anything, to me the letter looks like a chair. I guess that there is always a risk when you create a design that can take on lots of shapes depending on how you view it: there is always someone who sees something that you didn’t mean them to see.<br />
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This next logo looked interesting to me, and I think that the funnel shape does play into the idea of a “trap,” which is the meaning of the word “Kapana.” It looks like something you fall into and might not be able to or want to get out of. However, you could also argue that it looks like a colorful iceberg or icicle.<br />
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The next design by Stoyan Hristov plays with the same means of expression like the logo by Elena Kalpakchieva that I discussed above. I find this design by Stoyan Hristov more appealing, however. There is a certain art deco feel about the typography and colors, though, which does not entirely correspond to the architecture of the area. Still, I think this design was one of my favorites. <br />
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Apart from being visually pleasing in its triangular shape, the next logo by Ilia Gruev didn’t seem like it had much to do with the past, present or future of the Kapana area, but that might be just my opinion. The design resembles that of skater apparel, which is nice, but also limits its appeal if we want to real a wider audience. When I read the short description that the designer submitted, I had to agree that he did play around with the idea of a crossroads, but I have to admit that I didn't see that when I first looked at it. Perhaps we are all too jaded by the commercial designs we see each day, and it is hard to look at images without putting them in the context of your own experience.<br />
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I did enjoy the design by the team of Mila Ivanova, Tsvetomir Pavlov, and Vassil Krustev, but I do wish that there were options in color. The logo is constructed in such a way as to demand applications in black and white, but I feel like we would lose something of the artistic feel of the neighborhood if we don’t have any color. After I came back to Sofia, I browsed through the contest website, and I saw that they did, indeed, offer an option in color. However, I still felt like there was something small that was missing.<br />
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At first glance I found the next logo quite charming: it has a vintage feel and could be viewed as a sort of artistic compass. However, on second thought I decided that while it was pleasing and beautiful, it was too focused on the past and on the specific architectural element of wrought iron and other decorative elements from iron. The designers noticed these elements in Kapana, but I missed them.<br />
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The design by Mariska Ferket is decidedly minimalistic, but adds visual interest through colorful patterns, textures, and other graphic elements. Somehow, though, it is only vaguely connected to the atmosphere of Kapana by its shape, taken from the letter K. Looking at the logo, I would guess that it had something to do with design and creativity, but definitely not that it represented the Kapana neighborhood in Plovdiv. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQI-0zzZblU/U7QEL1uVAuI/AAAAAAAAA3w/9NXB64Jtogs/s1600/2014-06-28+13.57.59web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQI-0zzZblU/U7QEL1uVAuI/AAAAAAAAA3w/9NXB64Jtogs/s1600/2014-06-28+13.57.59web.jpg" height="391" width="555" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">And finally, the winner. It is a good design, constructed out of the letters of the name Kapana and stylized into a square; it is both open, closed, minimalistic and expressive. What I didn’t necessarily like about it was the associations with the art of Mondrian that it brought in me, not because I don’t like Mondrian (which I do), but because Mondrian and Kapana in my mind do not invoke the same feeling and meaning. At the same time, I do agree that the execution is smart and fresh, so even if it is not my absolute favorite design, I definitely see its potential to work wonderfully as a logo for Kapana that is modern, clean, and focused on the future. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oN-TwGvXaIM/U7UZZxYIs0I/AAAAAAAAA4Y/hX3LBz3QUPo/s1600/kapanawinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oN-TwGvXaIM/U7UZZxYIs0I/AAAAAAAAA4Y/hX3LBz3QUPo/s1600/kapanawinner.jpg" height="391" width="555" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Photo from <a href="http://www.absolutkapana.bg/">http://www.absolutkapana.bg/</a></span> </span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">For those of you who didn’t get the chance to be at One Design Week in Plovdiv and look at the design entries in the contest, I do urge you to browse through the official website and check out the explanations of the artists that accompany their design submissions. I always find it very refreshing and enlightening to see the thought and work process of other creatives. Head over to <a href="http://www.absolutkapana.bg/">www.absolutkapana.bg</a> And enjoy! </span><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
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<span lang="EN-US">Disclaimer: N</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.880001068115234px;">o copyright infringement is intended.</span></div>
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-15352372674351748982014-05-06T20:31:00.000+03:002014-05-06T20:31:08.432+03:00A Photo Walk Around Koprivshtica<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We've had quite a lot of holidays this month, but since I was quite busy at work, I hadn't actually realized how long of a break we would be having until it was almost upon us. This meant no travel plans, which sucked a little bit, especially when it seems that everyone you know is suddenly going somewhere new and exciting. Oh, well. There's nobody to blame but myself and the Prague trip that some friends and I were thinking of doing but never actually booked. I actually had to work a bit during these holidays, so I guess it was great for my clients that I was here in Sofia, although I would have been happier strolling around Prague's Old Town or, say, enjoying the sights in Sorrento.<br />
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Still, some friends of ours called us with the idea of heading to the picturesque town of Koprivshtica for its annual reenactment of the famous April Uprising from 1876 that happened there against the Ottomans, who ruled the area at the time. The town is quite lovely with its Revival architecture, and it has a special place in every Bulgarian's heart because of both its historical significance and the fact that it was the home and birthplace of several important Bulgarian writers and poets. My personal favorite is Dimcho Debelyanov, and I found some translations of his poems here (my favorites are "To Return to your father’s house" and "Remember, remember the quiet yard…", although of course they sound the best when they are read in Bulgarian).<br />
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The weather here has been iffy all month, and while I like that everything is lush and green, I do not enjoy the constant London-like cloud cover and having to carry an umbrella everywhere. We knew that there was a risk of getting to Koprivshtica and having to run from museum-house to museum-house in the rain, but we decided to hope for the best. We got in early and had a couple of hours of nice weather, walking around the old cobblestone streets and visiting some of the historical places. However, we weren't so lucky as to enjoy a whole day without any rain, and of course it started pouring right at the beginning of the April Uprising reenactment, meaning everyone, especially the volunteers, got completely drenched and all restaurants in the area got fully packed in something like a second. <br />
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One of the guys in our party, though, was able to book us a table at a local <i>mehana</i>, so after enjoying some good food and waiting out the rain, we had another couple of hours of nice weather that we used to the fullest to check out all the sights and even buy local sweets and crafty items like my new favorite crooked rustic walnut chopping board. The trip was actually very nice, and apart from the rain, I enjoyed all of it and the opportunity to get out of the city. Strolling along the streets and admiring the beautiful colorful houses was a great change of scenery and, of course, a photographer's dream :).<br />
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The locals were also making a huge pot of something between a jam and the English mincemeat, boiling dried apricots, nuts and raisins and selling them fresh from the fire in jars. The dried apricots looked so colorful in their plate that I couldn't resist snapping a picture. <br />
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And how about this hand-painted sign saying "Cafe-Sweet Shop Delight"? Isn't that just lovely! </div>
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-72532778636623873992014-04-19T16:48:00.005+03:002014-04-19T16:52:50.003+03:00Palm Sunday in Sofia: In Pictures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last weekend was Palm Sunday, which is known here in Bulgaria as "Flower Day" or Цветница. Everyone that bears the name of a flower, tree, shrub and so on has a name day, which probably amounts to half of the population, so it is usually a day of many celebrations. More than a few of my friends celebrate their name days on Palm Sunday, as well as my close friend Lilly. <br />
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This year it was a day of celebration for me as well, as I had gotten some good news during that week, and I had finally received my MBA diploma. After so much work, long days and weekends spent in front of the computer, I was more than eager to graduate, and I had been expecting the official document for some time now. Getting it felt like the closure of a chapter in my life, and it felt great, like a tangible accomplishment. Therefore, I decided to celebrate my degree with my parents and Pavel with a nice brunch at Cactus, one of our favorite restaurants downtown. After that, we went to light a candle in a nearby church and took a long walk, ducking into various quirky stores along the way. The streets were full of people, and flower sellers were camped outside the churches with tulips, lilac and the traditional willow branches.<br />
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We browsed around a very interesting bookstore / novelty shop on Shishman Str. called Elephant, which has painted murals on the outside and an inside full of banners, flags, books, mugs, pins, and various other curious objects, and we bought fresh-from-the-oven loaves of full-grain hand-made bread from a recently opened bakery nearby. During the past few years, Shishman Street has gradually turned from just one more shopping street to an artsy, boutique-y, organic bakery and trendy bar sort of street, where you are sure to meet a friend no matter what time of day or night. I few years ago there was a Sofia Breathes day on that street, which I wrote about <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2011/06/sofia-breathes.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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It has been quite a while since I had had such a leisurely day outside, and I enjoyed myself a lot by soaking up the springtime city atmosphere. All in all, it was a wonderful day, and one I hope to repeat soon.<br />
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1850215515474210865.post-91595834867084151222014-03-03T19:24:00.001+02:002014-03-03T19:27:01.503+02:00Fall Couples Photoshoot with Lilly & Sasho<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Back in the fall I had the pleasure of doing a photo shoot with one of my favorite couples - my close friend Lilly and her man Sasho. It's always wonderful to see two people in love, and it was even better this time because it involved people that I care about. I have always been a sucker for romance, so I jumped on the chance to photograph them with the beautiful fall foliage of South Park in Sofia as a backdrop. </div>
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I like South Park as a photo shoot location because it has beautiful ponds and a variety of trees that make for an interesting setting. A few years ago I did another couple's photo shoot there (read more about it <a href="http://kosebose-nest.blogspot.com/2011/05/nick-and-iskras-photoshoot-in-park.html" target="_blank">here</a>), but while that one was in the spring and featured a lot of blooming trees, this one was all about the red and gold colors of October. I never got around to posting them last year, but I came across them last night, so I thought I'd share. </div>
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I am available for couples sessions, so feel free to contact me if you'd like to request one. Enjoy some of the photos from this beautiful fall shoot!</div>
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kosebosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687916384826756546noreply@blogger.com2