DESIGN SPOTLIGHT // Turn Your Bathtub Into a Sofa

Love it or hate it, you've got to admit that Breakfast at Tiffany's (along with Audrey Hepburn's adorably daffy role therein) has secured itself a lasting cultural fascination--so much so that we've begun raiding Holly Golightly's apartment for design ideas. Serendipitously, her clawfoot bathtub couch (our personal favorite) has popped up on Design Sponge and Apartment Therapy Re-Nest over the past few weeks.

The write-ups advise readers to simply go ahead and make one of these bad boys--you know, just saw a bathtub in half.

Though for anyone reading that's taken one of our metalwork courses, this thing will be a breeze. So once you've made your cut, spraypaint that sucker. Finally, (since we trust you've learned how to upholster as well), use your newfound skill to whip up some choice pillows.

Already got plenty of couch space? Hit the jump for a few more innovations.

There's more than just lounging to repurposing these clawfoot tubs. You've got the timeless "Virgin Mary In A Bathtub":

Though arguably a bit more functional, bathtub planters are a great way to turn a small plot of cement into a vegetable or flower garden:

Not feeling especially crafty but want one of those couches so badly you can taste it? You've always got the option to just buy one. We've come across some highly impressive work on Etsy, one that caught our eye being Ruff House Art. Here's one of their pieces:

Now sit back with your candy cigarette in a long holder and your unnamed cat--and enjoy.

Have any other repurposed bathtub ideas? Let us know about them! Maybe a koi pond? Cat condo? The possibilities are endless!

--Layla Schlack

CHECK THIS OUT // Loose Leaf: Hybrid Publication and Personal Art Gallery

"Looking at a beautiful work of photography or art at 500 pixels width doesn't really satisfy someone like me," says Tom Crabtree, the founder and creative director of San Francisco design studio Manual. "I like to live with images, not just scroll past them."

That desire led to Loose Leaf, a project that's mighty difficult to describe in a single word. In the words of Crabtree: "It’s a hybrid of periodical, poster, collectible archive and personal art gallery."

Each edition of Loose Leaf features a series of large-format, unbound prints. Unlike your typical art periodical or exhibition catalog, it's meant to adorn your wall rather than join that stack of magazines in the corner of your room. It even comes with handy aluminum push pins and pre-punched holes for easy mounting, a clever and simple system inspired by Crabtree's own aspirations to collect and display work in his home and studio. "Posters, photography, screen prints, drawings... all of which cost a small fortune to frame," he says. "I thought it would be neat to design a publication that allows the user to instantly hang it on their wall in a way that is very intentional."

More on Loose Leaf, including a gallery photos, after the jump.

Like its composition, Loose Leaf's editions are shaped by broad ideas rather than strict themes. The first edition features an array of prints tied to the San Francisco Bay area, including contributions from artist and designer Jeff Canham, photographer Michelle McCarron, painter Jake Longstreth and author, editor and artist Dave Eggers.

Crabtree founded Manual after working at studios like Spin and MadeThough in London and Apple in the U.S., where he designed packaging for the iPhone. "Throughout the years I've worked with some great people; photographers, illustrators, industrial designers, architects—largely on client related projects," he says.

"Loose Leaf is a great opportunity to keep working and collaborating with other creative practitioners whose work I admire, but in a freer way. While there's an element of curation and art direction in the way Loose Leaf takes shape, it's really just a case of us asking people to inspire us with what they do. At the end of the day that's what Loose Leaf is about. Inspiration."

Crabtree says that Manual plans to publish the second edition of Loose Leaf early next year. Order the first edition now from the Loose Leaf website.

Jeff Canham

Dave Eggers

Jake Longstreth

-- John Ruscher

CALL FOR ENTRIES // Designers, Prove Your Mettle In The 2011 Cut&Paste Digital Design Tournament

OK, designers, you officially have this week to apply for this year's Cut&Paste Digital Design Competition--you've got until October 7 to enter. "This is not a passive, submission-based contest," the Cut&Paste folks warn. And they mean it. The tournament is more a combination of a grueling work day and a night of going hard at the club:

Competitors perform live, onstage, before big-name brands and a raucous audience fueled by bartenders, with a deejay cranking out music and an emcee narrating events. Cut&Paste expects competitors to put on a show not only onscreen, but onstage, bringing props, friends, social media tie-ins - anything they can to draw in the judges and audience and stamp their personal style on their work.

Cut&Paste's NYC competition will take place on October 28 at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, where 16 designers will compete in 2D, 3D and motion design. Judges will include Jeff Staple of Staple Design, Tristan Eaton of Thunderdog Studios, Benjamin Palmer of the Barbarian Group and artist, product designer and author Jeremyville.

Then Cut&Paste will head to 11 other cities around the world, and the Grand Prize winners of each competition will be flown to the global championship right here in NYC in March 2012. That gives you the edge, New Yorkers—no jet lag.

-- John Ruscher

GO HERE NOW // Triple Canopy: Innovative Online Mag & Greenpoint Arts Space

Since it was founded in 2007, a primary goal of Triple Canopy has been "Slowing down the Internet." No, that doesn't mean this online mag is trying to take us back to the days of dial-up modems and painstakingly slow page loads--they're merely asking readers to approach their digital content with the same attentiveness and engagement as they would with print magazines like The New Yorker or Artforum. 

Triple Canopy has achieved that aim with a format that included scrollable virtual magazine pages and has since evolved into dynamic columns that navigate left-to-right by clicking the "-" and "+" symbols or, more conveniently, by using the directional arrows on your keyboard. It's an experience that's much more intuitive than (what we find to be) dizzying webzine layouts. The mag also opts for distinct, themed issues that are published in installments over a number of weeks, rather than short daily posts tailored for maximum page views.

Such a forward-thinking approach to design and user experience is coupled with excellent writing as well as visual and multimedia content, such as contributions from author James McCourt ("The Canticle of Skoozle"), Nation art critic Barry Schwabsky ("Tableaux Mourants: How we look at networked photography and collected copies"), artist and filmmaker Eve Sussman ("Whiteonwhite") and Brooklyn experimental band Zs ("Construction")--but a small sampling of their rich back catalog.

Triple Canopy's innovation has already attracted much acclaim, including a New York Times feature, a grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and recognition as a finalist in the National Magazine Awards for "General Excellence Online."

The magazine has also regularly complemented its published work with events and programs throughout New York and in cities including Los Angeles, Berlin, Paris and Sarajevo. This September they finally moved into a permanent space at 155 Freeman Street in Greenpoint, where they'll be be hosting parties and other programming.

"Counterfactuals," Triple Canopy's 14th issue and their first literary issue, is being published right now. They also have a book, Invalid Format: An Anthology of Triple Canopy, on the way and are staging The Future Has Two Faces, a benefit on October 28 featuring green-screen performances by artists including Jacob Ciocci, Shana Moulton and Conrad Ventur.

Bottomline: This is our kind of operation. 

-- John Ruscher

ESSENTIAL EVENT // Print's Color Conference + Giant Discount For 3rd Ward Members

Red means stop. Yellow makes you happy. Orange means Halloween. Colors mean different things to different people, and if you're an artist/designer, chances are you spend a lot of time obsessing over it.

Print Magazine knows this--and on October 4-6, they'll be hosting their first annual Color Conference. Session topics range from neuroscience to branding to dyeing, so at the end of the weekend, you'll have a full range of color theory to mull over in your brain.

Cooler though is that Print is graciously offering a whopping $200 discount to 3rd Ward members who register by tomorrow, September 22. Just enter the code 3RDWARD when you go to register.

Green means go, so get to it.

--Layla Schlack

Q+A // Visual Alchemist Chrissie Abbott Creates (And Inhabits) Her Very Own Otherworld

Courtesy: Chrissie Abbott

Maybe you already knew that Chrissie Abbott was a blonde bombshell with an adorable English accent who also happens to be one of the sought after, most unabashedly psychedelic visual artists going--though we're placing bets on you not knowing she was a master kitten charmer. 

“When I was growing up,” she tells us, “every single birthday, I asked for a kitten but I was never allowed because my dad was allergic...so out of desperation, I used to tempt neighboring cats into my house with plates of ham in hopes of revealing that the allergy did not exist.  But it never worked and I just got in trouble.”

If anything, Chrissie is certainly crafty.  Her love of creating began in childhood with afternoons spent making collages from her mother’s magazines and old Christmas cards.  She continues to work in collage because the juxtaposition of unlike images holds such possibility for “happy accidents.”  If you are not familiar with Chrissie Abott (that's what we're here for), we can tell you that her art is what would have happened if Lisa Frank had quit the yearbook, dropped out of high school, and joined Ken Kesey’s Furthur bus.

Chrissie’s love of music -- of which Jimi Hendrix and Dinosaur Jr. play a crucial part -- led her to gigs designing album covers for bands like Little Boots and the Koolaid Electric Company.  Recently, she’s been busy creating art for the band Diagrams, and preparing for an upcoming show in Sydney after the new year. Recently, she took the time to chat with 3rd Ward about love, life, and the infinite pursuit of kittens.  Hit the jump for more visuals and the full Q+A.

3W: Do you feel that the wit and humor of your work, as well as the collage element, makes it a little more proletariat and accessible?

CA: I hope so.  I like to try and make work with a bit of personality so that people can connect with it and see some humor in it.  I don’t take it too seriously.  It’s supposed to be a bit lighthearted and I hope that comes across.  I like low-fi looking work.  I like involving screen-printing and hand drawn elements too so that it can still be identified as being made by a human.

3W: Was there a moment when you decided you were going to pursue visual art as a profession? Or, shall we say: What would you be doing if you hadn’t made a commitment to a career in art?

CA: Art is pretty much the only thing I’ve ever been able to see myself doing apart from being in a band...but I can’t play any instruments very well and I don’t have the patience or skill necessary.  My career happened in a really lucky and natural meandering way.  There have been hard times of course, particularly when I first went freelance and had no money and lived on bags of apples and porridge but I love my job so [that love] takes over.  If something else comes up in a different field later on in life I’m open to it.  As long as it’s fun and I can do it okay.

3W: What are some themes you constantly return to and why are you attracted to them?

CA: I like things like magic, witchcraft, space, the apocalypse. What drew me to researching apocalyptic theories initially was how driven by fear and panic people can be.  For instance, when people wear sandwich board signs with “The end is nigh” [written on them]...Everyone is just looking for an answer or claiming to have one.  I like to believe in magic because it makes me feel like life has limitless possibilities and endless dimensions.

3W: If you could magically transport to somewhere else in the world, where would it be, and what would your house look like?

CA: I would live in California, by the sea, right on the beach, and my house would look rustic yet modernly efficient.  And I would have trinkets galore that document my many travels.  The outside would be white wood panelling and perhaps there would be a turret.  I would have a veranda on which to enjoy continental breakfasts and cocktails.

3W: What are your thoughts on true love?

CA: I was a cynic and a non-believer until I experienced it first hand, and now I’m sold.

3W: Anything else you want the world to know?

CA: I find it quite hard to not come off sounding like a dick in interviews and I’m sorry if I do.

We’d like to take this opportunity to let the record state that Chrissie Abbott does not sound like a dick.  She sounds like a dream come true. 

We demand that you seek out her work, though meanwhile, feast on a few more of her heavenly creations:

 

-- Margaux Weisman

MEMBER PROFILE // It's Jello Shot Girl!

There is a superhero in our midst. She swoops into parties, bars and other events around the city to save you from the same old beer and liquor drinks, replacing them with tasty gourmet jello shots. Meet Jello Shot Girl.

Jello Shot Girl daylights as Abby, a fine artist, textile designer and 3rd Ward member. "My paintings tend to be conceptual, emotional and personal," she says. "When designing my textiles, I strive to acheive pieces that are timeless, inventive and beautiful."

After a few years working in the fashion industry, Abby felt burnt out and starting looking for another outlet for her creativity. "This just sort of started by accident," she says. "One day I made a few batches of shots, and next thing I know I'm running a pretty full-fledged operation and working with people like Jelly NYC, Matchless and Pete's Candy Store."

"The Jello shots are an entirely different animal because of the added dimension of taste," she says. "I like to start with an indredient I'm inspired by, such as lavander, and work from there to figure out what other flavors and what liquor would pair well with it.

When not concocting her shots, Jello Shot Girl also regularly attends Drink N' Draw on Wednesday nights. "It helps keep my juices flowing," she says. "It's also wonderful when I'm not in a creative place, as I feel like it helps keep me in check."

See Jello Shot Girl in action (and sample some of her delicious shots) this  Saturday, July 23 at the Bushwick Block Party and at 3rd Ward's monthly Wind-up on July 28! And like her on Facebook to stay up to date on her future events.

MEMBER PROFILE // Ellen Espelund, 3rd Ward's Transatlantic Member

Ellen Espelund3rd Ward attracts all sorts of amazing folks, but it's somethin' else when a member signs up from across the Atlantic.

That's what Ellen Espelund did, becoming a 3rd Ward member while living 3,640 miles in Lillehammer, Norway. Knowing that she would need a place to work during future stays in New York, Espelund joined without ever having seen our space. "When you come from abroad it’s good to find the right artistic environment where you can feel at home in a way, so you can concentrate on your projects, because New York is such a big city," she says. "I simply felt 3rd Ward was the right place for me."

Espelund is a fine artist working with photography, painting and poetry. "My paintings are usually mixed media, the newest containing gold, silver and bronze," she says. "My photographs are built up in a special way regarding lighting and more. I'm inspired by how photographers worked in a time gone by."

Espelund visited 3rd Ward for the first time to take part in our Member Show and had a blast (check out more about her visit on Norway.org). " I had long planned to go to New York and do some projects, but suddenly I was there to exhibit," she says. "As with many artists, I’m more shy than people are aware of because I can seem outgoing, and it was an enormous amount of new people at once, but they were all so welcoming and nice, so it went fine. I loved it!"

Right now Espelund is working on multiple things. "One of these projects, the one I’m working most intensely on right now, is about death, but not in the way most people would associate when they hear that word," she says. "Like in my other projects this one is also connected to the authenticity in how we live our lives, and the way we dare or not to go our own way, to realize our dreams. It's connected to the joy of living."

Check out some examples of Espelund's work after the jump and look for way more from her in the future. "There might be some cool happenings later this year if things go according to plan," she says. "If not, look out for 2012..."

"I dreamed a dream"

"I want my freedom"

"Life...LOVE...Dreams" (detail)

TEACHER FEATURE // Buck Jackson's Rational Polyhedra

Buck Jackson is real, real busy. In addition to teaching at 3rd Ward, the designer teaches at CUNY, is opening his own design studio, and he’s a dad. Exhausts us thinking about one of those things.

About that design studio: it’s called Design Office Studio, and Buck says, “The primary focus of the studio is on furniture and skatepark architecture. The ultimate goal on the furniture end is: design, prototype, create finished piece and fabrication documentation, and sell designs to furniture companies. On the skatepark end, I’m working with skater, surfer, and documentary filmmaker Felipe Arias on a skatepark in his home country of Panama.”

Buck describes his design work as “rather rational,” saying, “I’ve been working with polyhedra and simple tension/compression systems in furniture. Right now I’m interested in wooden furniture that moves outside typical assemblages that are free of glue, screws or nails, and can be broken down and re-assembled.”

The Louisiana native had a humble entrance into the furniture design world, taking a job sanding and sweeping the floors of a cabinet shop when he was 18. But three years later, he began a series of assistantships for local artists and crafters, and went on to study at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina and Georgia’s Savannah College of Art and Design, before moving to New York in 2005. Here, he worked for the mechanical engineering firm Hoberman Associates, and for a model and prototyping firm “which held denizens such as Frank Gehry, SOM, Calatrava, Sir Norman Foster and Richard Serra,” before beginning the process of opening his studio.

When asked about his run here so far: “The thing I like most about teaching at 3rd Ward is the diversity of the students; I can have a Harvard grad and a bus mechanic in the same class.” 

Meanwhile, make sure to keep up with Jackson's Design Office Studio in two very different incarnations; head on over here or here.

-- Anastasia Friscia 

3RD WARD B-DAY // Get Briana Auel's Limited Edition 3rd Ward Birthday Print This Saturday

Briana Auel's screen print design.After featuring 3rd Ward member Briana Auel, a talented and award-winning designer and illustrator, in our inaugural Member Group Show earlier this month we thought, "Why not ask her to design a screen print for Saturday's Birthday BBQ?"

Much to our delight she said yes, so make sure to bring along your shirts, totes and the like to get her special edition screen print on Saturday!

You can check out other great designs by Auel, including prints, pillows and t-shirts, at her Broken Heart Social Club Etsy store and on her website. And, for the absolute latest, follow her on Twitter!

"Broken Heart Social Club and the art/design/illustration that I create are a direct representation of who I am as a person," Auel tells us. "A bike lover. A music devourer. An envelope pusher. A PBR drinking, whiskey swilling sailor-mouthed lady. I tend to create things that push comfort levels, but I soften the vulgarity through the pastel palette I often use. I love juxtaposition and I love the element of surprise."

Auel recently moved to Brooklyn from Minneapolis, so look out for much more from her in the future. "I'm often spotted cruising around BK on my bike with my white maltese pup, Cricket, slung across my chest in a sack," she adds. "If you spot us, say hello!"

3rd Ward's Birthday BBQ is this Saturday from 2-8pm and, in addition to Auel's awesome screen print, there will also be cheap delicious food, workshops, VJs, live music, a photography exhibition and more. And it's free! See you there!