[uhp-steyt fan-see] - adjective

1. not exorbitant or extravagent by city standards, however in a rural setting (like upstate new york) it is in fact, quite fancy.

2. a wonderful blog dedicated to art, design and other things that are indeed upstate fancy.

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Mar
09 art
GIVING A HOOT about great art

I’ve been spending a lot of time searching for affordable original art lately. I have come across some great finds including the mixed media work from Lionhead, a collective from Massachusetts. I’ve always been a big fan of mixed media and found objects collage, especially when it doesn’t scream folk art. I think these artists have managed to take something that can sometimes be a little too country, and make it into something modern and well thought-out, and having an owl or two in your work doesn’t hurt either. 

I would love to know your favorite affordable art artist. So leave a comment with a link and i’ll be sure to check them out.

owl

Mar
05 Uncategorized
IT”S ALMOST TIME for outdoor living

Twice a year i get really excited for a shopping trip, one is the fall back to school gooodies at Target, the other is the outdoor living events at ikea. I got a sneak peak at the Ikea summer catalog and this year does not disappoint.  I am currently moving from one apartment with a backyard to another one so at least I know there will be some outdoorness going on this year. These picks are some of my favorites. The battery operated colorful lantern at a whopping $3.99 each!  The lovely and affordable green outdoor love seat, a steal at only $139 ( thats less than $1 a day of outdoor seating enjoyment all season long, less if you share your seat with someone.) If you are a little bit fancier perhaps you will enjoy the modular outdoor seating its a little pricier but still a real bargain if you have ever looked at similar sets from crate and barrel ( trust me this is a really great deal). And last but not least these lovely fabrics from their regular 2009 collection, they really just pop out at me and would make that reupholstered thrift store find look fabulous. 

ikea

Mar
04 art
IS IT SPRING yet

I try and keep things varied here on upstate, so I do apologize for featuring two bird pantings in the same week. I think maybe I am just tired of waiting for spring and these birds are making me feel a little more chipper. So without further ado I bring you Curiosity No.3 – Litte Red Birds from Lexy Art. The original painting was done on chipboard, and to keep the look and feel of the original, the giclee prints have also been mounted to the same 3mm chipboard for an extra special touch. The vivid colors of her work really pop, and I love the rococo elements she ads in some of her work. Check out this wonderful artist from Down Under and become mesmerized by her work. 

birds

Mar
03 design
TYPOGRAPHERS start your engines

Since you all read up on the rules of typography a few weeks ago, I know you have been dying to design your own font. There are tons of service out there where you can scan in your handwriting and they make a useable font out of it, but fontstruct actually lets you design a modular font from scratch. Use stars, blocks, dots, curves or anything else you can think of to design your own useable font. Check it out, but make sure you have a chunk of time ahead of you because it is addictive.

font

Mar
02 art
TWEET TWEET TWEET meow?

Mike Dutton is my new favorite obsession. He makes me want to try my hand at watercolors again. He has so many different styles to his illustrations he can gesture an old movie palace, or draw in every detail of a fantasy world. My favorite of course is his bird masquerade series. These wonderful creations are simple and fantastical while being perfect for any age. So often humor in illustrations are aimed at children, but these masked birds are dying to nest in your living room. Check out his website then pick yourself up something nice at his shop. 

dutton

Feb
27 housewares
COME ON BABY light my fire

Check out these adorable candles from India Rose. The candles and candle holders are one solid piece of beeswax so no need to wipe those wax drips off your favorite candle holder. Available in a variety of colors and sizes, theses are sure to add a bit of color and drama to the simplest white room. They are a tad bit pricey so you might have to save these for a special occasion.

candles

Feb
26 art
OPEN UP your heart

…and  let the sun shine in. Take a look at these lovely prints and cards from Slide Sideways. Her original illustrations are super cute and have a retro feel and a modern twist. They look like they would be right at home inside Urban Outfitters. Her Let the sun shine in  print is hand screen printed so grab one while you can. And check out her endless summer inspired print  and some of her fabulous sketchbooks too.  

33

Feb
25 design
EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW about me

You may be wondering what these 3 things have in common. Wonder no more, they all relate back to me. Aside from writing upstatefancy, i also work full time as a graphic designer and run peppersprouts on the side. What can I say I’m a very busy girl! Jessica from Miniature Rhino interviewed me for the newnew etsy team blog this week. So take a moment and stop by and read a little more about me and my creativity and daily life. 

me

Feb
24 design
WE’RE BRINGING oranges back

I didn’t hate the new Tropicana packaging, but I also didn’t think it needed to be changed. There was something so iconic about the previous packaging, with that big juicy orange with the red and white straw poking out f it, it just said FRESH & Natural without having to actually say anything. The new packaging was just a little plain jane to me, it is modern, but it doesn’t have any added value, there was nothing special about this orange juice vs any other. I did however have very a very strong opinion about their new ad campaign, I hated it. It is boring, contrived and the copy writing is subpar (what little there is of it). “Squeeze it’s a natural.” Really? who says “It’s a natural?” I think there is a word missing in that sentence.. or maybe there is one word to many. Either way it just doesn’t make sense. 

Well for anyone who has felt even a tad bit leery of the new packaging, or maybe you just down right hated it, there is good news on the horizon ( thanks to the NYT ). Tropicana ( run by Pepsico ) is returning to the old packaging. Apparently the public is up in arms about the rebranding, so the company is listening to the people.  Now if only we can get more people to express their opinions about things that really matter. 

oj

Feb
23 inspiration
GET INSPIRED with nan lawson

Please welcome Nan Lawson as she let’s us into her head and opens up about what inspires her. 

My name is Nan Lawson and I’m an artist living in Los Angeles.  The neighborhood I live in is on the east side of L.A. and is known as Silverlake.  It’s a great community with artists, hippies, hipsters, and hills.  Just walking down the street I get inspired, whether it’s the color of someone’s house, the plants in their yard, or even the dry as a bone water fountain in the town square.  I bring along my camera on many occasions and let the images inspire me when I’m feeling blocked.

A lot of my work is based on retro objects and design.  I love typewriters.  I own two and only use them occasionally but I love the look and the way they can change the feeling in a room.  I also have a bit of an obsession with chairs.  Eames, Bertoia, Saarinen, these designers were real artists and the things they made are often the subject of my work. Thank you for letting me share.  – Nan Lawson. 

inspiration_comp1

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