Why Being a Graphic Designer is Fun...

...because you get to take nonsense sketches like this from your non-art superiors and turn them into functional information graphics.

I've removed all text on here that had to do w/ the actual company name, etc. When this series of graphics is complete and up on their site I'll post the end results of the project.

Funny Moments between Me & Art

I was just remembering an interesting moment I had with art in the 7th grade (maybe 8th...but pretty sure it was 7th). At the time it felt awkward, then as I went through art school I realized it was just plain stupid.

During 7th grade English we had an in-class assignment to Illustrate pages from a book we were reading. I don't even remember the book, but I remember it being about adults, not children. I drew the female character with breasts. Fully clothed of course - no nudity, literally just curvy under whatever type of outfit I was drawing on her.

The teacher was walking around as we worked, looked at mine and said I was a little young for that and made me erase it. I remember being so embarrassed and not really understanding why it was bad.

After going through high school art classes and eventually landing in art school, I realized that whole experience was rather stupid (through figure drawing classes and such you get pretty comfortable with the naked body).

Essentially, as a 12 or 13 year old, I was being told I was too young to Illustrate a body that was anatomically correct. At the age when girls should be learning about their bodies and feel comfortable with what their bodies are growing into, I was basically told it was "inappropriate". What a strange experience, right?

Do you have any silly or awkward moments in art?

Outline Alphabets

Today I stopped in a used book store; Pick Wick Book Shop, in Nyack, NY. Inside I found the book Outline Alphabets, 100 Complete Fonts, Selected and Arranged by Dan X. Solo from the Solotype Archive, and was able to pick it up for $5. (images above)

It reminded me of high school...I remember at least one project where we had to draw type and carve it into a linoleum plate for a print, but we had to trace the typography from a book similar to this (we were not allowed to freehand our own font!). My print was of a porcupine fish, so it said "porcupine fish" on it. Not sure where any of my prints from that project ended up, but I think the plate is actually still hanging in our bathroom at my parents house, haha.

The book store was really great. Exactly like what you hope a used book store would look like. Books just piled and stacked everywhere, and all the sudden there will be a little isle out of nowhere completely stuffed with books. Handwritten signs pointing you towards different sections; anything from art to physics, fiction to cooking, and a bunch of children's classics. Plus, what every used book store needs - an adorable calico cat that follows around the only customers in the store, and manages to stay inside even though the front door is always open. Perfect.

Hartford Art School 2009 Alumni Show

Above are a couple photos of me and my piece, Hand Drawn Facebook Statuses (micron drawings, scanned, digitally printed), from the HAS 2009 Alumni show.

I drove up from NY, but unfortunately and combination of working late and unexpected traffic got in the way of me actually making it there in time to mingle with friends and professors. I arrived right at the very end, food was cleaned up and there were maybe 4 or 5 other people finishing up their walk through. I skimmed the work real fast and saw some really great things.

What made up for the fact that I made it their so late? How about the fact that my piece sold! This was really exciting for me, probably more exciting than it should have been, haha. I feel like as a designer I am consistently commissioned to do work for others, the way they want it. So it was really great to have a piece that I created, just because it would be fun and just because I liked it, get enough attention to be sold. I'm assuming an old professor of mine made the purchase, but since I was not their in time to mingle, I may never know!

I plan to continue with my hand drawn typography, hopefully sell some more pieces, and eventually get commissioned to do more fun work like this rather than the corporate stuff I've been getting lately. Fingers crossed! :)

Seaglass!

Arrived early at the ferry yesterday in Ossining, tide was out far enough where I could walk down and collect sea glass again. I think for the first time ever I found yellow/orange sea glass AND a light purple/lavender color sea glass, along with the normal blue, green, and clear colors I usually pick up. So in one day, I collected an entire rainbow of seaglass...it was awesome.

Hand Drawn Facebook Statuses

Over the past couple months I've been trying to post some of my Facebook statuses as hand drawn type images. Its been a way for me to take some time each day for creative drawing, and given me a fun & easy subject to draw. Above are a few of the ones I've posted, for more check out my Facebook page.

This Peanut Looks Like A Duck

Just found this website a few days ago, "This Peanut Looks Like A Duck". Its pretty hilarious. Most of the pictures are pretty crummy, probably taken on camera phones and such, but still cute! I am now on a constant mission to find something that looks like a duck...

HAS Alumni Show

I've submitted a piece into the Hartford Art School alumni show at the University of Hartford! Details here :).

New Necklace - Pogs!

New necklace I made with Pogs (Thats right, pogs, from the early 90's). Check out more photos and a description on Etsy!

stART on the Street - A Success!!

stART on the Street 2009 was a success for me, as I expect it was for other artists and crafters there! It was a beautiful day, fun to talk to customers & visitors, and great to see what the opinion on my stuff is like at a larger show like stART.

A big hit were my new POG earrings. Thats right, POGS! People loved them, even for those who didn't purchase any it was great to send them back to the early 90's for a second, haha. Photos on that to follow.

Above are photos from stART; my table set up & some friends modeling their purchases!

I've been working on some fun new things to sell at stART on the Street this coming Sunday (September 20th) in Worcester, MA. It really is the greatest craft fair I've ever been to! When I was just out of high school I used to volunteer there, helping with sound (w/ a non profit called DC-fiy). Every year since then, even though I drifted out of touch with my friends in DC-fiy, I made my way to that craft fair to see all the amazing artists and watch it grow into the event it is today.

Hopefully any of you reading this will be able to join me there:

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

11am-5pm

Park Ave, Worcester, MA

www.startonthestreet.org

Ron Arad at the MOMA, NYC

Images from my trip to the Ron Arad exhibit at the MOMA last Friday. Exhibit runs through October 19th.

stART on the Street

stART on the Street is in just 12 days! Check out details, other artists and performers on their website.

A Small Collection of Envelope Security Patterns

Love

I took this photo of my uncle's first dance with his wife at their wedding a couple weeks ago. Sometimes I think an abstract photo like this says more about the feelings shared between people, as opposed to a typical wedding photo: in focus with facial expressions. Their dance was beautiful, they took classes before hand so it was filled with fancy international waltz steps! A photo that didn't capture this feeling and motion would not have done the dance justice.

Shit Head

Found this carved into a curb from when it was wet. Pretty silly.

John Hostetter—Jonah's Cat's Art Gallery, New Smyrna Beach

"Space Crab" by John Hostetter

A few weeks ago my boyfriend and I travelled to Florida for a family wedding. We were lucky to stay in a beautiful condo right on the ocean in New Smyrna Beach. I collected a few fun things there that I'll talk about as I get to it, but first, below are some great images from Jonah's Cat's Art Gallery on Flagler Ave.

Flagler Ave in New Smyrna Beach is the major street that leads right to the beach. It has a bunch of really cute shops including a glass art gallery, pottery studio, and a few painting galleries.

John Hostetter, manager and artist of Jonah's Cat's Gallery (along side Samuel Ruder), was such an interesting guy to meet on vacation. We saw him out on the street near the bar Peanuts, getting things ready for his band's gig that night. Little did we know we'd run into him again at the gallery down the street that I had spotted the night before. It was fun to hear about his art, music, travels and more...

An interesting piece in his gallery was his painted laptop. Obviously I like art that can make you laugh, and this did that—hopefully the photos of Hostetter posing with the laptop at his desk did the same for you.

John Hostetter originally went to school for theatre, so if you're interested also check him out on imdb.com.

Flea Market Finds

Interesting numbered brass tacks I picked up at a flea market a couple weeks ago for $1. Apparently these were used to identify screen doors, shutters, etc.

Rock Art - Moab, Utah

Beautiful Natural Color Palette

Beautiful color palette inspired by organic plant powders. Part of a web redesign project I'm working on.