Friday Finds
Aaron William MacDonald’s “Studio of Architectural Fantasy” takes a different approach to the world-building that goes behind our favorite fantasy and science fiction stories. An architect by trade and now a planning commissioner, Macdonald decided to create what he calls “imaginary architecture” through an illustrative ink style usually seen in architectural portfolios. From fictional power stations to lakeside temples, MacDonald creates meticulously detailed worlds that you can let your mind wander into. You can see more of his (real) architectural work on his website.
“Future Fossils Vol. 1” is a critical look at how technology, and the speed with which it takes over our lives, can cause us to disengage with the present. A mix of watercolor and printmaking, Lauren Denning renders the future through abstract technicolor. With splatters of paint that soak and drip across each page, each page leaves you with a visual feast that also inspires introspection.
As a Mexican-American illustrator, Santiago Cohen brings both artistic influences together in “Snow.” Inspired by the graphic styles of Mexican folk art and murals, coupled with the vibrancy of American graffiti and pop art, his sketchbook is full of bursts of color and unique fantastical characters. In his long career as a cartoonist, Cohen has designed animations for Cartoon Network, PBS, and HBO, to name a few, and developed the artwork of numerous children’s books while working on his own paintings and illustrations.
“Plain and Simple” by Malwina Leszczynska is one to look through if you’re seeking a moment of relaxation. Leszczynska took inspiration from Volume 14’s theme of “disconnection” and decided to fill her sketchbook with painted illustrations of foliage and flowers. These small slices of nature, from rings on a tree stump to the delicate bloom of flowers, are given their due with soft, eye-catching bursts of color. A project that motivated her to return to art-making after a 6-year hiatus, Leszczynska writes, “I used this as my excuse to switch off from the world and draw whatever I needed to clear my mind.”