‘Just be nice to people. Not because you think it will get you into heaven. Just because it’s right.’ -Natasha Newton, Blackbird Sings

This is one of my favorite quotes. It was posted under ‘Religious Views’ on the Facebook page for UK-based visual artist Natasha Newton. And if one could have the title of ‘social networking ambassador,’ it should go this particular blackbird.

myspace came first
I didn’t trust MySpace. I’d heard about the freaks, the stalkers, the time wasted. But it was Natasha’s simple page that said to me, MySpace isn’t as stupid as it seems to be. She was the first one I followed out to Twitter. Because she does it right.

Her posts are always intelligent, smart, incredibly well-planned out and silly. It’s all in the attitude. And the niceties. Natasha is Emily Post – but, with an edge. If something’s not right, she’s extremely vocal about it. And that makes friending and following all worth while.

professional work
Over the past few years, I’ve been able to follow Natasha’s career through posts and tribulations. Sales that are great or sluggish. Sink or swim.

There is obsessive detail in her art that I simply love. Her dedication to the ‘craftsmanship of art’ – she doesn’t just throw things together – harkens back to the work of William Morris (1834-96); her detailed, yet simple visuals cast a similar spell.

And as of this year, we finally have one of her hand-drawn collage pieces in our collection. We have a parrot – named Cluck Cluck – so another bird in the house (above, Frida) was a few clicks away. (And the packaging was nicely prepped too)

And she’s always posting whatever is going on, whether it be her jump to Macintosh, founding the League Against Assholes or rye observations of the triviality of the American media (nothing to link to, she’s kind enough to take her posts down if they hit too much of a nerve – Americans can be sooo sensitive, I’ve pointed out). Commissions, shows, Esty and Moo, it’s fun to be a fan.

Amit Erez’s self-titled CD, art by Natasha Newton
 

photography
But what really lured me in his her photography. Technically astute, personal and always beautiful. I have her MySpace photography account in my top friends because I always love what I’m seeing. They’re not just snapshots. And the ongoing london project – her collaboration with composer Leon Milo – can’t wait to see where that ends up.

natasha’s world
Natasha has a solo show going on right now at the Serena Hall Gallery Southwold, Suffolk, UK (it just opened today). The gallery site is here.

Where Natasha lives is filled with joy, sadness, wonder, funky moustaches and oddly timed karate chops – most of which one can only experience if they follow on Twitter, fan on Facebook, follow her blog, Flickr or friend through one (or all) of her MySpace accounts. Enjoy sharing in the adventure.

All images in this post are owned by visual artist Natasha Newton; please, no copying, stealing or any other monkey business. Thank you.

I miss these icons. Susan Kare developed them – and the standard city-named fonts – for the original Apple Macintosh in the early 1980s.

I particularly like the alert message guy in the right corner – a playful bitmapped take that has a similar feel as Oskar Schlemmer’s 1921 bauhaus icon.

My grungy Alta California font was inspired by Kare’s original San Francisco font; which, unfortunately hasn’t been available on a Macintosh for many years. I have a great respect for her ability to convey so many many different letters within a small 72 dpi black and white space. Unfortunately – thru gratuitous use – San Francisco did sort of become the Comic Sans of its day. Sort of.

Check out Kare’s online store for some fantastic tees and notecards. Rad digital art from a simpler era. An era that didn’t need gradients and drop shadows in order to dazzle.

And drop by the Japan-based Vintage Mac Museum to see some of Kare’s original icons in action.

Also, check out my other post about Braun and Apple.

‘I was warned, ‘Once you go Mac, you won’t go back’  . . .  
They were right, whoever it was.’ - Natasha Newton, visual artist

Enjoying my new iMac. Heaps faster than my old machine.