Feeling Rabbitish today, itching to make one of these little cuddlies again:
Showing posts with label creative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creative. Show all posts
05 May 2013
02 May 2013
The Power of Penmanship
As I sit here as of late, I have been pondering the lost art of penmanship. I have a nephew on the way and while doodling his name in my book (because its so unique and beautiful) I thought, "Why gosh, kids nowadays aren't even learning cursive writing anymore in school. Such a shame."
Well thats if your child is in public school.
The Government should be ashamed of itself.
Puh.
Writing is the most basic form of communication, and cursive writing is the angelic flourish of humanity turned civilized.
Its evolved over the years and through culture changes, but still we shouldn't forget to teach our children sophistication and showmanship of intelligence.
I envy the calligraphers who are able to eek out a living reminding society how beautiful proper communication looks and feels.
Well thats if your child is in public school.
The Government should be ashamed of itself.
Puh.
Writing is the most basic form of communication, and cursive writing is the angelic flourish of humanity turned civilized.
Its evolved over the years and through culture changes, but still we shouldn't forget to teach our children sophistication and showmanship of intelligence.
I envy the calligraphers who are able to eek out a living reminding society how beautiful proper communication looks and feels.
I love to write.
26 November 2012
SAHM with Cabin Fever
I've been living the high life of a Stay At Home Mom for the past five weeks, you know- sleeping in, watching TV, cruising the internet, shopping with imaginary money...
for all you SAHM you can start laughing now :)
I went from being a mom of one to a mom of three in a month and I've been working on myself trying to keep up! Being a SAHM is no small feat, especially for this woman who feels its necessary to work outside the home. I can't help but feel I need to go work. I know I'm working enough here. But I would love more to work outside the home and hire a maid.
I've stopped working retail because:
A) I couldn't have the open availability that they wanted anymore, and if you don't give it to them you are punished with next to no hours.
2) It was way too stressful
Thirdly) It was way too stressful
I'm keeping my options open and looking for work, but staying the creative route and searching high and low for design positions. I will probably be at retirement age before anyone decides to hire me. So in the meantime I will make-do on my own because I do not need to be validated by somebody making 100K a year saying "oh yes you are a good designer you can work for me". I know my strengths and my weaknesses and for petes sake I'm a loyal employee- I've stayed at Wallyworld for almost two years for only God knows why. So its cool. I know I'm overqualified for this country town.
I've come up with something neat to share with you all: a 25 Days of Design Christmas. Every day I will post a little how-to in making a design-related craft for Christmas gifts. It's meant to be cost-effective, so try to use as much as you have on-hand and around the house.
Graphic Design is one of those all-inclusive mediums where almost anything constitutes as "graphic design", i.e. posters, apparel, stickers, cards, photos, buttons, magnets, the possibilities are endless.
So stay tuned!
for all you SAHM you can start laughing now :)
I went from being a mom of one to a mom of three in a month and I've been working on myself trying to keep up! Being a SAHM is no small feat, especially for this woman who feels its necessary to work outside the home. I can't help but feel I need to go work. I know I'm working enough here. But I would love more to work outside the home and hire a maid.
I've stopped working retail because:
A) I couldn't have the open availability that they wanted anymore, and if you don't give it to them you are punished with next to no hours.
2) It was way too stressful
Thirdly) It was way too stressful
I'm keeping my options open and looking for work, but staying the creative route and searching high and low for design positions. I will probably be at retirement age before anyone decides to hire me. So in the meantime I will make-do on my own because I do not need to be validated by somebody making 100K a year saying "oh yes you are a good designer you can work for me". I know my strengths and my weaknesses and for petes sake I'm a loyal employee- I've stayed at Wallyworld for almost two years for only God knows why. So its cool. I know I'm overqualified for this country town.
I've come up with something neat to share with you all: a 25 Days of Design Christmas. Every day I will post a little how-to in making a design-related craft for Christmas gifts. It's meant to be cost-effective, so try to use as much as you have on-hand and around the house.
Graphic Design is one of those all-inclusive mediums where almost anything constitutes as "graphic design", i.e. posters, apparel, stickers, cards, photos, buttons, magnets, the possibilities are endless.
So stay tuned!
14 June 2012
Remembering My Roots
I know my posts have been scattered, but just deal with it right now.
I have been working on a post about SEO (seriously, wtf is that???) but I put that on the back burner because I was cleaning out my closet in searching for "stuff". You know, STUFF. I found lots of stuff that was "lost" but now is "found" because you know I never really *lost* that stuff, it was misplaced in my memory of where it was exactly.
And in finding the Lost Stuff I found Neat Things (thanks to me being a total pack rat) that I was able to reminisce over!
Amongst the Neat Things were some essays I wrote during my first quarter at The Art Institute of Charlotte way back when in 2002. That was ten years ago. It by golly does not seem that long ago. When I think of "ten years ago" I think of my teenage years in the nineties. Laughable moment!
I found an essay I wrote about my Nana. She was the real reason I am an artist in the first place. She was an artist and created in me an excitement and passion for all things artsy and craftsy. So I want to share what I wrote, because it sounds way intelligent and I'm impressed that I wrote it using big expressive words!
For The Love Of Art
Art has always been a part of my life; sometimes I feel that I was born with a pencil or crayon in my hand. I owe my artistic talent to my grandmother. Nana, (as she liked to be called, it made her feel younger.) was a very talented artist and without her genes I would not be an aspiring artist. Visiting Nana always meant an art lesson was to be taught. As soon as I would step inside the doorway, I knew she had already brought out the proper supplies to begin the lesson. Pencils, crayons, markers, paper and coloring books would be strewn neatly across the coffee table waiting for my itchy hands to grab hold of them. Nana would then greet me with a request for me to draw a pretty picture, which I would happily concede to. Throughout the duration of the visit, Nana would teach me all the wonderful things she knew about art. As an adult I find I cannot live without art because of Nana's lessons. I need to be creating something in order to be satisfied. I can now see that Nana's lessons and faith in me helped to influence my decision in returning to school to pursue a career in art, discovering my passion for graphic design.
First and foremost, Nana instilled in me an interest for art that soon turned into an enthusiasm and desire. She became the wind that fanned the burning flames of my attraction towards art. The wind blew the hardest when she would take me into her art room and show me the most magnificent and amazing pieces of art. There were boxes upon boxes on the floor containing piles of precious pictures Nana had drawn and painted over the years. Many of them were still unfinished, waiting patiently for her final stroke. In the middle of the room stood a monstrosity of an art table with years of acrylic and oil paints crusting off the sides and legs. Also inlaid on the top of the table were scratches, marks, and dents from years of hard work. Cups clung to the sides of the table filled with different paints, brushes, and tools. Standing in the midst of this room, I realized that this must be what it means to be a real artist.
I was fascinated by my Nana's art and wished that I could become just as talented as she was, so I started drawing all the time practicing the gift she had given me. When I would show my creations to her she would "ooh" and "aah" at them with a smile of pure delight on her face. Nana would make such a fuss over my pictures, hanging them on her refrigerator, cupboards, and walls. She even taped them to the ceiling above her bed so she could look at them while falling asleep (she did this with all her grandchildren). Any loving and doting grandmother would do the same, but it wasn't just my grandmother praising my work, it was an artist. i was always nervous showing her anything of mine for her comments and reactions meant the world to me. But she was always reassuring, telling me how talented I was and my confidence blossomed.
I can attribute most things in my life to my Nana. She gave birth to my mother, which in turn gave birth to me. Not only did she bring life, she also taught me important life lessons, like not to open a soda bottle after it has been shaken. I made that mistake once and she called me a jackass. It was all in good fun, I knew what would happen if I opened the bottle but I thought her reaction would be funny, which it was because she was so light-hearted and loved to laugh. In this way she was an excellent example on how to lead a happy and fulfilling life. Through her actions she has shown me not to worry so much and to laugh at everything no matter what situation you are in. Knowing who she was and what she has done gave me the desire to follow in her footsteps. I do not wish to live her life, but to be able to use the knowledge and talent she has given me in a positive and effective way....... I am very blessed to have had my Nana in my life and vow to make the most of what she has taught me.
I hope you all have someone in your life that is your hero and encourages you to be the most you can be.
Cheers!
I have been working on a post about SEO (seriously, wtf is that???) but I put that on the back burner because I was cleaning out my closet in searching for "stuff". You know, STUFF. I found lots of stuff that was "lost" but now is "found" because you know I never really *lost* that stuff, it was misplaced in my memory of where it was exactly.
And in finding the Lost Stuff I found Neat Things (thanks to me being a total pack rat) that I was able to reminisce over!
Amongst the Neat Things were some essays I wrote during my first quarter at The Art Institute of Charlotte way back when in 2002. That was ten years ago. It by golly does not seem that long ago. When I think of "ten years ago" I think of my teenage years in the nineties. Laughable moment!
I found an essay I wrote about my Nana. She was the real reason I am an artist in the first place. She was an artist and created in me an excitement and passion for all things artsy and craftsy. So I want to share what I wrote, because it sounds way intelligent and I'm impressed that I wrote it using big expressive words!
For The Love Of Art
Art has always been a part of my life; sometimes I feel that I was born with a pencil or crayon in my hand. I owe my artistic talent to my grandmother. Nana, (as she liked to be called, it made her feel younger.) was a very talented artist and without her genes I would not be an aspiring artist. Visiting Nana always meant an art lesson was to be taught. As soon as I would step inside the doorway, I knew she had already brought out the proper supplies to begin the lesson. Pencils, crayons, markers, paper and coloring books would be strewn neatly across the coffee table waiting for my itchy hands to grab hold of them. Nana would then greet me with a request for me to draw a pretty picture, which I would happily concede to. Throughout the duration of the visit, Nana would teach me all the wonderful things she knew about art. As an adult I find I cannot live without art because of Nana's lessons. I need to be creating something in order to be satisfied. I can now see that Nana's lessons and faith in me helped to influence my decision in returning to school to pursue a career in art, discovering my passion for graphic design.
First and foremost, Nana instilled in me an interest for art that soon turned into an enthusiasm and desire. She became the wind that fanned the burning flames of my attraction towards art. The wind blew the hardest when she would take me into her art room and show me the most magnificent and amazing pieces of art. There were boxes upon boxes on the floor containing piles of precious pictures Nana had drawn and painted over the years. Many of them were still unfinished, waiting patiently for her final stroke. In the middle of the room stood a monstrosity of an art table with years of acrylic and oil paints crusting off the sides and legs. Also inlaid on the top of the table were scratches, marks, and dents from years of hard work. Cups clung to the sides of the table filled with different paints, brushes, and tools. Standing in the midst of this room, I realized that this must be what it means to be a real artist.
I was fascinated by my Nana's art and wished that I could become just as talented as she was, so I started drawing all the time practicing the gift she had given me. When I would show my creations to her she would "ooh" and "aah" at them with a smile of pure delight on her face. Nana would make such a fuss over my pictures, hanging them on her refrigerator, cupboards, and walls. She even taped them to the ceiling above her bed so she could look at them while falling asleep (she did this with all her grandchildren). Any loving and doting grandmother would do the same, but it wasn't just my grandmother praising my work, it was an artist. i was always nervous showing her anything of mine for her comments and reactions meant the world to me. But she was always reassuring, telling me how talented I was and my confidence blossomed.
I can attribute most things in my life to my Nana. She gave birth to my mother, which in turn gave birth to me. Not only did she bring life, she also taught me important life lessons, like not to open a soda bottle after it has been shaken. I made that mistake once and she called me a jackass. It was all in good fun, I knew what would happen if I opened the bottle but I thought her reaction would be funny, which it was because she was so light-hearted and loved to laugh. In this way she was an excellent example on how to lead a happy and fulfilling life. Through her actions she has shown me not to worry so much and to laugh at everything no matter what situation you are in. Knowing who she was and what she has done gave me the desire to follow in her footsteps. I do not wish to live her life, but to be able to use the knowledge and talent she has given me in a positive and effective way....... I am very blessed to have had my Nana in my life and vow to make the most of what she has taught me.
I hope you all have someone in your life that is your hero and encourages you to be the most you can be.
Cheers!
14 May 2012
Ground Control To Major Tom
Launching A Start-Up. Ignition Fail!
I am only steps closer to being able to stay at home again... it will be so much easier to focus on my own endeavors when I don't have to worry about stress in retail employment.
I was on the phone with my best friend (whom I've had the pleasure in knowing and keeping up with for over 25 years! Dang that's a long time.) and she asked how my freelancing was going.
I laughed.
It is so difficult to do a start-up of any business if you truly cannot devote ALL of your time to launching it and maintaining it. I've been totally neglecting my OHTY re-brand (we are now Yankee Burrow Creations). Been working on a logo and I was so desperate to fix what my *ahem* partner did as far as banners and avatars so I threw something together to get our "look" going:
Deciding color can be a real pain in the ass when you are designing a new brand/company. Orange is used by a lot of big name companies, and quite frankly it would be hard to use a color that NO ONE ELSE is using. Impossible. The color spectrum itself may span as wide as the universe, but I mean when comparing Pantone 3262 and 3272- it's stinking TEAL for pete's sake. Thalo blue and Cerulean blue are both B L U E. So to sit and think of a color that is unique to the corporate world is a complete waste of time. Use a color that fits your brand and expresses it's nature and emotion.
I'm using orange. Preferably a burnt, rust orange that holds sentimental value to myself and my partner since it reminds me of my Nana (my mother's mother. My mother is my business partner if you don't remember). She is the source of our crafty and artsy nature, herself being an artist and her favorite color being orange I thought the color befitting our crafty and artsy handmade shop.
This is just the beginning, I still need to work on a type style that is as close to unique as possible. Just not satisfied with anything I've encountered yet. Time to break out my graph paper...
Been scouring the web for inspiration and I've been sucked into Pinterest.
Oh yes Pinterest you have lassoed me and made me your slave. Not really though. I like getting on board and window shop. I re-pin items that have already been pinned, I very rarely (ok well never) pin original items because of their Terms of Service. But you know. Whatever.
What frustrates me the most about Pinterest is not being able to find the original link of an item pinned. I was on a search to find this because I thought it was awesome and sums up a designer's dilemma when dealing with logo design and clients who just don't understand. When viewing stuff on Pinterest it's super hard reading the small print and since the poster was pinned from this site which is just a scrapbook of cool sh!t, I couldn't find the original link.
After pulling out a magnifying glass I was able to see the url on the poster and I found this guy. He's been at this for a long time and I appreciate his style and keeping his designs classic yet updated. Will definitely be following him for inspired pick-me-ups.
Drop me a line or two if you've found something cool and snazzy that pertains to logos!
I've also been stalking Logo Design Love for inspirations and articles, they rock. If you are having trouble designing a logo that *doesn't* look like someone else's- this is a good article and also encouraging, because everything HAS already been done. We just need to try to do it differently.
I am only steps closer to being able to stay at home again... it will be so much easier to focus on my own endeavors when I don't have to worry about stress in retail employment.
I was on the phone with my best friend (whom I've had the pleasure in knowing and keeping up with for over 25 years! Dang that's a long time.) and she asked how my freelancing was going.
I laughed.
It is so difficult to do a start-up of any business if you truly cannot devote ALL of your time to launching it and maintaining it. I've been totally neglecting my OHTY re-brand (we are now Yankee Burrow Creations). Been working on a logo and I was so desperate to fix what my *ahem* partner did as far as banners and avatars so I threw something together to get our "look" going:
Deciding color can be a real pain in the ass when you are designing a new brand/company. Orange is used by a lot of big name companies, and quite frankly it would be hard to use a color that NO ONE ELSE is using. Impossible. The color spectrum itself may span as wide as the universe, but I mean when comparing Pantone 3262 and 3272- it's stinking TEAL for pete's sake. Thalo blue and Cerulean blue are both B L U E. So to sit and think of a color that is unique to the corporate world is a complete waste of time. Use a color that fits your brand and expresses it's nature and emotion.
I'm using orange. Preferably a burnt, rust orange that holds sentimental value to myself and my partner since it reminds me of my Nana (my mother's mother. My mother is my business partner if you don't remember). She is the source of our crafty and artsy nature, herself being an artist and her favorite color being orange I thought the color befitting our crafty and artsy handmade shop.
This is just the beginning, I still need to work on a type style that is as close to unique as possible. Just not satisfied with anything I've encountered yet. Time to break out my graph paper...
Been scouring the web for inspiration and I've been sucked into Pinterest.
Oh yes Pinterest you have lassoed me and made me your slave. Not really though. I like getting on board and window shop. I re-pin items that have already been pinned, I very rarely (ok well never) pin original items because of their Terms of Service. But you know. Whatever.
What frustrates me the most about Pinterest is not being able to find the original link of an item pinned. I was on a search to find this because I thought it was awesome and sums up a designer's dilemma when dealing with logo design and clients who just don't understand. When viewing stuff on Pinterest it's super hard reading the small print and since the poster was pinned from this site which is just a scrapbook of cool sh!t, I couldn't find the original link.
After pulling out a magnifying glass I was able to see the url on the poster and I found this guy. He's been at this for a long time and I appreciate his style and keeping his designs classic yet updated. Will definitely be following him for inspired pick-me-ups.
Drop me a line or two if you've found something cool and snazzy that pertains to logos!
I've also been stalking Logo Design Love for inspirations and articles, they rock. If you are having trouble designing a logo that *doesn't* look like someone else's- this is a good article and also encouraging, because everything HAS already been done. We just need to try to do it differently.
04 April 2012
Silk Screen #Fail Re-Run!
I'm still in experimentation mode with this silk screening deal and I'm getting really annoyed.
Here's my first attempt with a homemade silk screen.
I'm a little impatient, but aren't we all when it comes to something we want and could potentially make us money?
So I bought a silk screen kit from Stencil Pro. I was torn between PhotoEZ and Stencil Pro and with some quick review reading I went with the latter and I'm glad I did. PhotoEZ had a few specific directions in order to make it work correctly which required too much brain power on my part, so Stencil Pro it was!
This stuff is insanely easy to use and the price is affordable. No chemicals to deal with, you just need a high quality transparency print (the blacker the print the better), sunshine, and tap water.
I was so excited to get started, I had been working on color separating designs and now on my day off I was ready for action. I don't own a printer (because I'm so indecisive about these things, my digital camera is over three years old too. Just can't decide.) so I packed up my children (consisting of my Macbook Pro, stencil kit, and son) and headed off to my mother's to use her inkjet printer.
The instructions stated to print the transparency as a high-quality print using the "best print" features on the printer instead of the transparency option. I was skeptical at first and my skepticism proved correct: printing a transparency using a premium paper setting makes it blurry and overly saturated with ink. So I tried again using the transparency setting and it came out great but the images weren't opaque enough and I knew it. I was thinking of filling it in with a paint pen but I didn't have one. And as I said before I'm impatient. So you know where this is leading...
The kit only gave me two transparencies. The first one bombed. The second one was looking pretty good, I waited a little while for it to dry then assembled the pieces to burn the images on the silk screen. The silk screen sandwich looks like this: contact frame which consists of black felt glued on what I think is thick chip board, silk screen, transparency, thick piece of clear/transparent plastic which had small magnets in the corner to keep it secured to the black felted chip board.
I placed it directly in the sun for about 30 seconds.
I took it apart and put the silk screen in an aluminum throw-away lasagna pan with tap water and left it submerged and covered with a solid colored/opaque top (so no light could get in) for ten minutes.
I put the plastic canvas from the kit under the silk screen and while in the water took a soft bristle brush and brushed over the images to rinse away the chemical residue that actually makes the silk screen. (The plastic canvas is to help the silk screen keep its integrity since it's a mesh and acts like paper and fabric mixed together.)
I left it on the canvas and put it back in the sun to dry.
The silk screen was under-exposed. The images didn't burn all the way through so it was clear on one side but not on the other. It was under-exposed for two reasons: my transparency wasn't opaque enough, and even so- if I left it in the sun a little longer it probably would have compensated for it.
Trash!
Oh well.
Live and learn!
But! I was only given TWO transparencies and TWO silk screens. Both transparencies are gone and so is one silk screen. I went on a trip to my local wally-world and lo and behold they didn't have any transparencies. That's what I get for living in the friggin' country. I'm close enough to enjoy city life when I want to, but too far away to make a 25 minute trip for transparencies.
Dammit.
Lessons I Learned:
~ Use a laser printer to make your transparencies. I *know* that will work better. Got to make a trip to the big city for the Office Max!
~ Let the friggin' transparency dry *completely* if you're using an inkjet printer. I didn't and this is what happened:
Here's my first attempt with a homemade silk screen.
I'm a little impatient, but aren't we all when it comes to something we want and could potentially make us money?
So I bought a silk screen kit from Stencil Pro. I was torn between PhotoEZ and Stencil Pro and with some quick review reading I went with the latter and I'm glad I did. PhotoEZ had a few specific directions in order to make it work correctly which required too much brain power on my part, so Stencil Pro it was!
This stuff is insanely easy to use and the price is affordable. No chemicals to deal with, you just need a high quality transparency print (the blacker the print the better), sunshine, and tap water.
I was so excited to get started, I had been working on color separating designs and now on my day off I was ready for action. I don't own a printer (because I'm so indecisive about these things, my digital camera is over three years old too. Just can't decide.) so I packed up my children (consisting of my Macbook Pro, stencil kit, and son) and headed off to my mother's to use her inkjet printer.
The instructions stated to print the transparency as a high-quality print using the "best print" features on the printer instead of the transparency option. I was skeptical at first and my skepticism proved correct: printing a transparency using a premium paper setting makes it blurry and overly saturated with ink. So I tried again using the transparency setting and it came out great but the images weren't opaque enough and I knew it. I was thinking of filling it in with a paint pen but I didn't have one. And as I said before I'm impatient. So you know where this is leading...
The kit only gave me two transparencies. The first one bombed. The second one was looking pretty good, I waited a little while for it to dry then assembled the pieces to burn the images on the silk screen. The silk screen sandwich looks like this: contact frame which consists of black felt glued on what I think is thick chip board, silk screen, transparency, thick piece of clear/transparent plastic which had small magnets in the corner to keep it secured to the black felted chip board.
I placed it directly in the sun for about 30 seconds.
I took it apart and put the silk screen in an aluminum throw-away lasagna pan with tap water and left it submerged and covered with a solid colored/opaque top (so no light could get in) for ten minutes.
I put the plastic canvas from the kit under the silk screen and while in the water took a soft bristle brush and brushed over the images to rinse away the chemical residue that actually makes the silk screen. (The plastic canvas is to help the silk screen keep its integrity since it's a mesh and acts like paper and fabric mixed together.)
I left it on the canvas and put it back in the sun to dry.
The silk screen was under-exposed. The images didn't burn all the way through so it was clear on one side but not on the other. It was under-exposed for two reasons: my transparency wasn't opaque enough, and even so- if I left it in the sun a little longer it probably would have compensated for it.
Trash!
Oh well.
Live and learn!
But! I was only given TWO transparencies and TWO silk screens. Both transparencies are gone and so is one silk screen. I went on a trip to my local wally-world and lo and behold they didn't have any transparencies. That's what I get for living in the friggin' country. I'm close enough to enjoy city life when I want to, but too far away to make a 25 minute trip for transparencies.
Dammit.
Lessons I Learned:
~ Use a laser printer to make your transparencies. I *know* that will work better. Got to make a trip to the big city for the Office Max!
~ Let the friggin' transparency dry *completely* if you're using an inkjet printer. I didn't and this is what happened:
 |
| I smeared my stuff. The small one on the lower left is a sample sent in the kit: see how black the images are? |
~ Have lots of backups, one small silk screen as a tester for exposure time, then a large one for the real deal.
Never fear! I may be easily discouraged but I'm not a quitter. I'm highly annoyed and just as determined to get this blasted thing to work right. I've got big plans and I will see them to fruition.
This week has been a little crazy- wally world has never a dull moment- and my cousin passed away. Which made me realize even more that whatever is causing you stress in your life is not worth your time. His stress was pretty major- but if you are able to wipe the stress away, do it. If your job is causing you more stress than joy at being able to make a living- find a new job. Just do it. Find a way to block out the nasty stuff and focus on the good. Life is way, way, WAY too short. Cherish each day.
I know my website design totally sucks. I'm working on it. Feel free to give me feedback, I don't mind, as long as its constructive and not hateful.
This week has been a little crazy- wally world has never a dull moment- and my cousin passed away. Which made me realize even more that whatever is causing you stress in your life is not worth your time. His stress was pretty major- but if you are able to wipe the stress away, do it. If your job is causing you more stress than joy at being able to make a living- find a new job. Just do it. Find a way to block out the nasty stuff and focus on the good. Life is way, way, WAY too short. Cherish each day.
I know my website design totally sucks. I'm working on it. Feel free to give me feedback, I don't mind, as long as its constructive and not hateful.
21 March 2012
Doodle Therapy
I haven't committed to a super-serious post lately due to: a) laziness b) writer's bloc c) anxiety
You choose.
I'm a fine artist at heart, and I have not drawn or painted anything in forever and a day which makes me sad. So. So. Sad.
I love graphic design and illustrating on the computer. But I'm seriously developing some major carpal tunnel which is my body's alarm telling me I need a break.
I've been doodling a lot lately, and today I have found myself drawing organic things using almost all circles and arcs. It's been fun and interesting to see how these little critters I've made turn out using only circular elements.
I challenge you to doodle using one specific graphic element: circle, square, rectangle... drawing organic things using the abstract shapes will surely come out more dynamic than my simple circles.
Maybe I will return to my doodles and make a series depicting each critter with different shapes.
Equipped with my circles stencil here are a few doodles I've made:
You choose.
I'm a fine artist at heart, and I have not drawn or painted anything in forever and a day which makes me sad. So. So. Sad.
I love graphic design and illustrating on the computer. But I'm seriously developing some major carpal tunnel which is my body's alarm telling me I need a break.
I've been doodling a lot lately, and today I have found myself drawing organic things using almost all circles and arcs. It's been fun and interesting to see how these little critters I've made turn out using only circular elements.
I challenge you to doodle using one specific graphic element: circle, square, rectangle... drawing organic things using the abstract shapes will surely come out more dynamic than my simple circles.
Maybe I will return to my doodles and make a series depicting each critter with different shapes.
Equipped with my circles stencil here are a few doodles I've made:
 |
| You may recognize this diva from my Silk Screen debacle. |
 |
| It's a cloud! It's a tree! No! It's a sheep ready for shearing. |
 |
| These lovebirds are still under construction. |
Back to the grind to clean up my doodles.... I need to re-stock my art supplies. I have one pencil left. My paints are stocked but no papers. I think these critters are asking to be made in marker.
Show me your stuff! I want to see what you have made! Leave a link in the comments....
****Disclaimer**** I hate to be a stickler, but these are my drawings and are my intellectual property. Because they have been published within this medium they are copyrighted and you may not sell them. I am flattered if you deem my doodles worthy to copy- which you can privately, but do not pass them off as your own. Give credit to where credit is due. Always conduct yourself in a dignified manner, because if you don't believe in God's Judgement Day, you best believe in Karma because she is a total bitch and doesn't wait around for that Judgement Day to come.
14 March 2012
Silk Screening #Fail
It seems I have been fasting the online community lately, and so I have for various reasons, I will post an OHTY re-brand update this week...
But in the meantime I've been desperately searching for a quick and easy AND cost-effective way to do silk screening. I think I may end up doing some sort of stamping instead.
Let me start by clearly stating this process is just for DIY hobbyists and not meant for commercial printing. By no means. Ha!
Well not so much.
Instead of using embroidery hoops I used canvas stretcher strips and stapled the fabric to it much like stretching canvas.
This did not work because the fabric I bought was too sheer and lightweight. Because of this I was not able to get a nice tight fit around the strips. An embroidery hoop probably would have worked better.
Furthermore, the fabric was not woven tightly enough, too many large spaces. I thought it would make it easier to pass the paint through, but it ended up looking like a 64-bit image than a nice smooth image.
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| I drew the image on the reverse side, hard to see, eh? |
I drew my image on the "silk screen" with a pencil, which was not successful. It was hard to see the pencil lines. I used too soft of a pencil and not a stiff enough fabric.
I used mod-podge to fill in the negative space where the paint should not come through. That was messy and tedious making sure the holes were properly filled up.
 |
| Upon closer inspection, it looks like a rough pixellated image. I forgot her tail too. Oops. |
Clean up was also difficult. The fabric of course became heavy, it will probably stretch out because of it...
Anywho...
The lessons I've learned:
I would probably use thin, solid pieces of wood with no rounded curves (as the stretcher strips do) and stiffer fabric that is still sheer enough for paint to pass through, maybe tulle would work great.
I also would use some form of a squeegee and not a foam roller like I used for this experiment. The foam roller just soaked up the paint and it was hard making the paint pass through the fabric.
Also make sure that the apparel you are silk screening is properly tied down and stretched tight. My experiment was hastily done and things will work better when you follow this rule.
And if you don't know or haven't figured it out- you cannot use regular paint. No acrylics, tempera, oils, watercolors (heavens to betsie! *rolls eyes*) FABRIC paint.
Silk screening can be a lot of fun! But like scrapbooking the supplies are ridiculously expensive. Its funny how capitalism makes everyday found materials so expensive when put all together.... its all just wood, plastic, rubber, textiles, paint... Oh well.
I was looking for a fun way to make apparel since everyone I know is having/has had babies and was wanting to make things that were more personable. I have used the iron-on transfers before but those come out stiff and crinkle after they are washed. I will try again, but this time I'm thinking about making a large stamp instead- lithography if you will. I've done it before with wood blocks and a material that for the life of me I cannot remember what it was.... it was like a rubber stamp, but wasn't... when I figure it out I will let you know! Or if by any chance your brain wavelength is riding the same wave as mine- please tell me what it is because I'm going crazy trying to remember...
If you're on Twitter come follow me! I in like will do the same- I'm only following two real people, everyone else is a company. Wow.
25 February 2012
Name Inspirations
This is a post in conjunction with the Our Home To Yours re-brand series about names and my never ending dissatisfaction!
I keep mulling Yankee Burrow over and over inside my head and I just want to be sure that this is the best representation of what we stand for.
Home.
Comfort.
Happiness.
Warmth.
And all that jazz.
The old adage is true: all the good names are taken. So we need to improvise! Desperately.
I like the concept of "cloud nine", you know, being on cloud nine, your happy place. But the name "Cloud Nine" or "9" is used so much across the board its ridiculous. And I'm having difficulty incorporating the word "cloud" within the name. Nothing sounds quite right.
Then "On A Cloud" popped in my mind.
Hmm.
Not bad I think. I kind of like it. I believe I'm going to add a little somethin'-somethin' at the end, you know, a flourish to tie it all in. On A Cloud crafters.... hmmm.... not to thrilled with the whole "crafters" or "craft" thing. I'm going to keep working on it.
Comments are welcome. Be tactful in your criticisms.
OH. And I guess I should organize my archived blogs a little better eh? Yeah I'll get right on that.
After I eat lunch.
Hey! I'm on Tehnorati now... go check it out!
7ZKBV25EUPYP
I keep mulling Yankee Burrow over and over inside my head and I just want to be sure that this is the best representation of what we stand for.
Home.
Comfort.
Happiness.
Warmth.
And all that jazz.
The old adage is true: all the good names are taken. So we need to improvise! Desperately.
I like the concept of "cloud nine", you know, being on cloud nine, your happy place. But the name "Cloud Nine" or "9" is used so much across the board its ridiculous. And I'm having difficulty incorporating the word "cloud" within the name. Nothing sounds quite right.
Then "On A Cloud" popped in my mind.
Hmm.
Not bad I think. I kind of like it. I believe I'm going to add a little somethin'-somethin' at the end, you know, a flourish to tie it all in. On A Cloud crafters.... hmmm.... not to thrilled with the whole "crafters" or "craft" thing. I'm going to keep working on it.
Comments are welcome. Be tactful in your criticisms.
OH. And I guess I should organize my archived blogs a little better eh? Yeah I'll get right on that.
After I eat lunch.
Hey! I'm on Tehnorati now... go check it out!
7ZKBV25EUPYP
29 January 2012
Pressing the Re-start Button with a Re-brand
Two years ago my mother and I started an online craft shop
out of desperation to be useful to the world. At the time both of us were stay
at home mothers living in different states; it proved to be a challenge but not
so much with modern technology and the Internet on our side.
We are both artists in our own right coming from a long line
of pack-rat creatives who have a bad track record of finishing things. (Should
I be saying this? You think it will be bad for business? Ha! I scoff at the
very thought, its no secret that great artists are messy and suck at finishing
what they started.)
My mother went ahead and started the shop through Etsy.com
and used the name Our Home To Yours. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the name
but what was done was done and as a designer I needed to make the best of it.
Honestly, I hit a designer’s version of writer’s bloc coming up with a logo and
brand for our little shop. I wasn’t satisfied with anything, however the show
must go on! And it did with a feminine, girly design that in my opinion
reflected the style of an elderly woman’s bedroom.
After I hastily put together a brand identity I put our
little company’s design focus on the back burner. I tried to concentrate on
creating items to sell but always thought about that damn name and brand
identity. In the truest form I did not create a “brand identity”, I just chose
a typeface, color, and illustrative style to associate with the shop. Here I
am, a graduate with a Masters in Fine Arts and I was totally bombing on my own
company’s design.
So, whoever you are and wherever you may be: have you now
found yourself between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the design of
your company? Well its time for change! And we are going to accomplish it
together!
This is the beginning of a design journey, a re-brand of Our
Home To Yours. I will go through the “steps” from beginning to end of how the
process should look. From research to development and final deliverables I hope
you find the inspiration you need- and I hope I find it too!
 |
| Upper left: original logo work. Bottom right: attempts at re-branding. #fail |
16 August 2011
Inspiration Pick-Me-Up
I'm trying to muster up the motivation in moving this train along, but lately I've been lacking the proper inspiration. Let's face it- without inspiration from other creatives the excitement of actually being creative is just sucked right out of you. Oh and I'm not talking about the whole "well just look outside at the wonder and beauty of Nature and just let the Inspiration overwhelm your senses!"
No.
That's not it.
I'm all for the great outdoors... I love nature, I'm turning into quite the grassroots-back-to-basics-farming-the-land-tree-hugger. But when it comes to artistic and creative inspiration I wholly depend on other creatives to show me their chops and what they are made of, that sort of thing gets my RPM's revving high and I'm ready to go!
I'm working on a small project right now for a co-worker fixing a family photo. I was moving right along when I ran into a dead end. I guess my brain decided it needed a break, but I feel drained, I need some creative pick-me-ups! So let's mosey on over to iStockphoto to see what's brewing in the heads of other creatives...
(I found iStockphoto during my younger college days when it was real cheap... the prices are higher, however the quality of the content by their contributors has increased significantly).
This is where I need to be.
This photo is just plain awesome.
Now don't follow my lead on this next photo, I took it at a photography gallery in Charlotte, NC- The Lightbox Factory in Spirit Square... I promptly forgot who the author was- he/she is an amateur- the photos themselves were good, wasn't really digging the theme, however! The matting and framing of the collection was beautiful! I had to take a picture to remember it always...
This is a wall outside of Spirit Square...
So tell me, what gets your creative juices flowing?
No.
That's not it.
I'm all for the great outdoors... I love nature, I'm turning into quite the grassroots-back-to-basics-farming-the-land-tree-hugger. But when it comes to artistic and creative inspiration I wholly depend on other creatives to show me their chops and what they are made of, that sort of thing gets my RPM's revving high and I'm ready to go!
I'm working on a small project right now for a co-worker fixing a family photo. I was moving right along when I ran into a dead end. I guess my brain decided it needed a break, but I feel drained, I need some creative pick-me-ups! So let's mosey on over to iStockphoto to see what's brewing in the heads of other creatives...
(I found iStockphoto during my younger college days when it was real cheap... the prices are higher, however the quality of the content by their contributors has increased significantly).
This is where I need to be.
This photo is just plain awesome.
Now don't follow my lead on this next photo, I took it at a photography gallery in Charlotte, NC- The Lightbox Factory in Spirit Square... I promptly forgot who the author was- he/she is an amateur- the photos themselves were good, wasn't really digging the theme, however! The matting and framing of the collection was beautiful! I had to take a picture to remember it always...
This is a wall outside of Spirit Square...
So tell me, what gets your creative juices flowing?
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