Red Bubble is an exciting site for artists and photographers to showcase (and hopefully) sell their work as mounted prints, calendars, greeting cards or Tshirts.

A sample of Pamela Bray's work is below. More can be found at

Sydney Graduate Designs World Expo Mascot

Haibao, the mascot of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

A graduate of the Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) at the University of Sydney is the designer of the Shanghai World Expo's mascot, Haibao, which means treasure of the seas.

The popular blue cartoon figure, Haibao, is shaped like the Chinese character for 'people', in order to express the people-orientated spirit of the event.

Fang Fang, a Shanghai-based designer who studied at the SCA, is currently enjoying fame as one of the most popular contemporary designers in China.

She dates her creation back to 2007, where the Shanghai World Expo Business Coordinated Bureau held a worldwide competition for the mascot design.

The competition received 26,655 design works from 21 countries in five months. However, she explained, none of the designs satisfied the judges 100 per cent.

"The Shanghai World Expo Mascot Office and a designing and altering team were then formed," she said.

"Since I had designed quite a lot of popular mascots and won more than ten national awards in this field during the past ten years, I was invited to join the team as the one and only art designer. I was then put in charge of the figure design of the mascot."

An idea offered by a Taiwanese commercial designer suggested creating the mascot from Chinese characters.

The team improved the idea by making the Chinese character "?", which means people, the archetype of the mascot of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Ms Fang explains this decision presented an interesting challenge.

"How can a thousand-year-old Chinese character turn to be a cartoon mascot? I spent months working on it.

"After hundreds of drafts, I finally turned back to the study of Chinese calligraphy, the old and profound but still vivid and typical Chinese art style. I was totally inspired by its beauty and power."

The design of the mascot came from the inspiration of the calligraphic stroke made by the brush, combined with modern cartoon.

"For example, the dynamic hair style of Haibao which looks like a jumping wave comes from the trace left by dropping a brush with soft power when a calligrapher starts to write. Once they finish a stroke, they will slowly turn the brush back to hide the power in the stroke and make it feel stronger and more powerful. The shape of the feet of Haibao is a reproduction of that."

Ms Fang then completed extended designs, including more than 130 figures of the mascot dressed in Chinese costumes and also national costumes of different countries. She also presented more than 100 figures of Haibao and other characters of the animation, plus illustration and cover design for around 28 books of the mascot.

Find out more about Haibao at the official Shanghai Expo website.

Pantone Unveils Color of the Year for 2010:

PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise

Turquoise Transports Us to an Exciting, Tropical Paradise While Offering a Sense of Protection and Healing in Stressful Times

CARLSTADT, N.J., Dec. 8, 2009 –Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT), and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE® 15-5519 Turquoise, an inviting, luminous hue, as the color of the year for 2010. Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.

“In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”

Whether envisioned as a tranquil ocean surrounding a tropical island or a protective stone warding off evil spirits, Turquoise is a color that most people respond to positively. It is universally flattering, has appeal for men and women, and translates easily to fashion and interiors. With both warm and cool undertones, Turquoise pairs nicely with any other color in the spectrum. Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, complements reds and pinks, creates a classic maritime look with deep blues, livens up all other greens, and is especially trend-setting with yellow-greens.

In fashion, Turquoise makes a statement that can look elegant and dressy in fine silk and gemstones, or casual and fun in cotton and athletic apparel. Because of its versatility, Turquoise is a great accent color in jewelry, purses, shoes, hair accessories and even nail polish for women, and ties, shirts and sportswear for men.

To read the complete article on the Pantone site, click here.

Pantone Selects Color of the Year for 2009: PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa

Mimosa Embodies Hopefulness and Reassurance in a Climate of Change

CARLSTADT, N.J., Dec. 3, 2008 - Pantone, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT), and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE® 14-0848 Mimosa, a warm, engaging yellow, as the color of the year for 2009. In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow.

"The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. "Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."

Best illustrated by the abundant flowers of the Mimosa tree and the sparkle of the brilliantly hued cocktail, the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow. Mimosa is a versatile shade that coordinates with any other color, has appeal for men and women, and translates to both fashion and interiors. Look for women's accessories, home furnishings, active sportswear and men's ties and shirts in this vibrant hue.

Mimosa is also one of the 3,000 colors available in Pantone’s line of superior-quality, eco-friendly paint. PANTONE Paints combine the accuracy of PANTONE Colors with the beauty of high-performance Dutch paints. Perfect for the kitchen or family room, painting a wall in Mimosa will add warmth and cheerfulness to any room, especially during the winter months. Mimosa also creates the illusion of being connected to the outside, making small rooms feel open and inviting.

To read the complete article on the Pantone site, click here.