sunCentered

Pam & David Invitations

2011-03-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

You may remember, Pam & David loved their labels so much that they commissioned me to design their invitations! Here's what we have so far:

I also did a version with teal leaves as Pam had mentioned teal may be a theme, but she decided to go with green. The other version also has a more polished calligraphic font, but I'm hoping we'll go with this font! Pam wanted a rustic feel to match the location. Names and location have obviously been changed. ;)

Shopping Day With Papyrus

2011-03-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

I'm having more Papyrus sightings than I can keep up with! It's amazing how much there is! I found another site, Papyrus Watch, is doing the same thing, but they accept submissions from everywhere. I'm going to continue my project, as it is just about the Papyrus I encounter in my everyday life.

Today, we go shopping with Papyrus.

This is my absolute favorite picture so far. It's a perfect example of my Papyrus is not right for your business. What do greetings and gifts have in common with dentistry? Find a unique font that says something about your business! Hire a designer, and don't just pick the first "unique" font off your default font list!
Next, I wander in to Bales. I see a wide variety of food here, but none of it screams "Ancient Egypt" to me.

I'm not sure who supplied the matching sign...
Sorry for the bad quality. This was hanging on the ceiling. I searched for the actual wine bottles, but found none. Went out of business for using Papyrus? I kid, but check out the Stag Hollow and Spindrift logos. I always admire the unique designs on wine bottles, so it's baffling that someone would use Papyrus.

My roommate picked this up. The brand logo is not in Papyrus, but obviously Papyrus perfectly describes green tea!

I stand corrected. Trader Joe's also feels that Papyrus perfectly describes green tea!

We carry these at work. I guess people think Papyrus has an Asian feel? As also seen with the green tea...

Papyrus Project 3

2011-03-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

Today continues the Papyrus Project with one of my personal favorites. I took this picture in September 2010 during my last visit to Japan. Unfortunately, we were riding on a train when I happened to notice this sign. I wish I would have jumped off the train, even though the doors were about to close. At least you can still see the Papyrus. This photo also really makes me want to get a camera that shoots in RAW, because then I could have brought back all the Papyrus.

Anyway, this photo is amazing to me because it was a Papyrus sighting in Japan. But I don't think it's all too common a font there.

Papyrus Project 2

2011-03-03T10:43:00.001-08:00

Today, I share more from the Papyrus collection! It's amazing how much Papyrus I find just around Beaverton.

This one is a real gem, because it was done by someone who has no idea about print resolution. If you view the full size, you can clearly view the pixelation in the background image. Actually, the font looks ok (besides being Papyrus), so it seems that the resolution is ok, they just blew up the background image.

I found this in the newspaper. Another company using Papyrus for their logo! Tsk tsk...visiting their website I found it again.

This last one was found on a vote incentive for Evil Diva, a webcomic. I was surprised and disappointed to see Papyrus on their site!

More to come!

Label News!

2011-03-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

Exciting label news! I ended up sending this label to Pam and David:

That one was my favorite, and others I asked agreed. They loved it! And now they want to commission me to design wedding invitations for them with a similar theme, but with marionberries! Needless to say, I am extremely flattered and excited.

Also, when we get these labels printed, I will be posting photos of them on the jam!

The Papyrus Project

2011-02-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to announce this new project: The Papyrus Project! I see Papyrus everywhere and I finally snapped and decided I needed to make a record. Papyrus is not original anymore and should never be used for logos! It should also not be used for anything else. This project will show how overused Papyrus is and hopefully serve as a warning to any who think of using it. Papyrus drives the Graphic Designer in me crazy!

This is the moment when I decided to record Papyrus: at Peachwave Frozen Yogurt at Cedar Hills Crossing.

Shortly after I went to Eugene and found this gem in the UO Career Center.

And in my Eugene hotel room I was bored and flipping through the dining guide....little did I know I'd find this!

I have a few more Papyrus finds that I will share later.

Learning WordPress

2011-02-25T09:58:00.000-08:00

The time has come again for a change. I want to move off Blogger and fully integrate my blog into my portfolio. Unfortunately, it seems the only real way to do that is to learn to create WordPress themes.

This is a whole new ballgame for me. I know limited HTML and CSS through working with DreamWeaver. But the biggest problem is I'm still stuck in the table era. A professional designer once commented that he was surprised I used tables, as most people my age never did. Well, that's because I started designing websites when I was about 12, when tables were all the rage! At some point I did learn about divs, but to me those were boxes you floated inside the tables so you could have scrolling content. So trying to think outside of tables is a challenge. Personally, I'm still not so sure what's so wrong with them. Anyone care to enlighten me?

Anyway, I'm using this tutorial. It's very basic; a little too basic since I do have an understanding of code. But since I know nothing about WordPress, it's great.

Here is what my new layout will eventually look like.

Snow Day!

2011-02-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

In Oregon, snow is pretty rare. I've always loved snow, so it was kind of exciting to wake up to a blanket of snow. Of course, being Oregon, it's not so bad that the roads aren't clear. By the time I ventured out to walk to the store, it had mostly melted; but I managed to take this photo of a secluded area.

It's interesting to note that my enjoyment level of snow has changed a bit since I was a child. Snow always meant school was closed and the day could be spent building snow forts. Now I have a more adult perspective on snow. Working at a hospital, the world doesn't stop because of snow. Instead, my higher-elevation co-workers call in and I am called instead.

When Nick and I traveled to Paris, it snowed the morning of our return flight. My first reaction was joy, quickly replaced by fear that our flight would be canceled. While we had joked about getting stuck in Paris before we left, in reality, work would not be pleased. Another adult problem with snow. In fact, our flight was almost canceled, but that's a story for another time.

Last month we also had ice, but no snow. Ice is a problem of its own. Tonight, Disney movie night has been canceled because of snow/ice (What was I saying about being an adult?). I took this photo of MacDo's fountain encased in ice, another rare sight for Oregon! I enjoy that there is also a plamtree in the background.

Regardless of adult problems it causes, I still love the quiet beauty of snow. I just wish I could still have snow days.

Label Again

2011-02-23T14:29:00.000-08:00

None of those text options really did it for me, especially at print size. More options...

Pam & David Labels

2011-02-22T22:54:00.001-08:00

My Uncle and future Aunt are getting married! She asked me to design some jam labels to go on the favors. She wanted heart-shaped strawberries, and I ran with it.

Here are a few variations in text. I have yet to hear her thoughts!

KC Logos

2011-01-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

Here’s the latest: KC logo design!

It went through many concepts. I incorporated hearts and circles, two of KC’s signatures.

New Work

2010-11-09T11:08:00.001-08:00

Weow, it's been a while. I graduated and have been working on a super long and intense freelance illustration project! You can see it up at sunCentered.com, as well as three new graphic design projects! I never put up those photos from the BFA review....I really ought to do that!

Presentation

2010-05-26T01:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.suncentered.com/dodge.html

Last Two!

2010-05-19T14:51:00.001-07:00

Home sick and trying hard to be productive. Put the final touches on Rabbit Stew! One more to go!

All 12!

iPhone tracking

2010-05-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.instamapper.com/overview.html
http://www.everytrail.com/iphone.php

Spaghetti and Miceballs

2010-05-09T01:02:00.001-07:00

Illuminated

2010-04-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

Came out pretty nice!

Colors

2010-04-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Projected color layout...

Horseburger +

2010-04-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

Horseburger

Spaghetti and Miceballs WIP

Rabbit Stew WIP

Put on Your Sunday Clothes @ Pioneer Courthouse Square

2010-04-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Even when it's totally irrelevant...you know I can't resist syncing music! I followed these characters around for a while, being as unobtrusive as possible. A couple spoke to me. Very exciting.

Maquette

2010-04-17T21:40:00.000-07:00

Super awesome.

Ppt

2010-04-12T21:50:00.001-07:00

Awesome powerpoint. Let me know if this doesn't work...never used GoogleDocs before.

Illuminating

2010-04-10T16:11:00.000-07:00

Illustration for Illuminating the Deer. The antlers will glow, probably painted in Photoshop. I wanted to do something that could potentially be used as a poster.

Also, some excellent petitioner info:
Laws governing petitioners
Ballot Initiative

Problem with Petitioners

2010-04-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

More Recipes

2010-03-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

I plan to complete at least these recipes for the final review. More animal ideas are welcome!

Mouse - Spaghetti and Miceballs
Frog - Toad in the Hole
Rabbit - Stewed Rabbit
Chicken - Roasted Chicken
Horse - Horseburger
Snake - Pizza?
Guinea Pig - Cuy al Horno

Marmalade

2010-03-11T15:36:00.001-08:00

Marmalade kitten on toast.

Redone Hot Dog.

64

2010-03-05T23:59:00.000-08:00

61. Love Note Dragon (Thanks Kate!) (Voodoo Donuts)

62. Culinary Dragon (Thanks Alison!) (Williams-Sonoma)

63. Office Dragon (Office Max)

64. Healthy Dragon (Whole Foods)

Also a color sketch. "Marmalade Kitten on Toast"

Dragons

2010-03-04T19:06:00.001-08:00

52. Link Dragon

53. Sommelier Dragon

54. Baby Dragon

55. Frost Dragon

56, 57. Sad Scrap Dragons

59. Inspector Clouseau Dragon

60. Nature Dragon (REI)

Piggy

2010-03-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

Micropig in a Blanket

WIP Lizard Kebab

VERY rough - Marmalade on Toast

Tasty Animals

2010-03-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

Turtle Soup

Hermit Crabcake

Cockatiel Pie

Goldfish Sushi

Also, check out this cool video where they imitate classical paintings!

70 Million by Hold Your Horses ! from L'Ogre on Vimeo.

Dragons

2010-02-28T21:38:00.000-08:00

43. Mrs. Brenner Dragon (Max Brenner)

44. Silver Dragon

45. Explorer Dragon (The North Face) (Thanks Alison!)

46. Dentist Dragon (Dental Whitening Gel)

47. Dr. Dragon (Wallgreens)

48. Sunday Dragon

49. Maple Bacon Dragon (Voodoo Donuts) (stolen from Kate ;))

50. McDragon (McDonald's)

51. Godiva Dragon (Godiva) (Thanks again, Alison!)

52. Tongue Dragon (Safeway)

40 Worst Rob Liefeld Drawings

2010-02-24T19:54:00.000-08:00

I don't think I've posted this yet. Freaking hilarious! It makes me sad, yet hopeful at the same time. After all, if Rob Liefeld can make a living illustrating, why can't I!

40 Worst Rob Liefeld Drawings

WIPs

2010-02-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

WIP -- Cockatiel pie
The head needs work, the pie needs more contrast.

WIP -- Hermit crabcake
Needs a shadow.

Fish fish sushi fish

2010-02-22T23:54:00.001-08:00

Sketchesss

2010-02-22T01:19:00.001-08:00

Dragons

2010-02-18T20:38:00.000-08:00

Today is day 46...only slightly behind.

36. Little girl dragon

37. Watermelon Dragon

38. Max Brenner Dragon

39. Lunar Dragon (Moonstruck)

40. Coffee Addict Dragon (Moonstruck)

41. Bread Lover Dragon (Great Harvest)

42. King of Produce Dragon (QFC)

"10 most popular pets"

2010-02-17T22:53:00.000-08:00

May or may not use these.

1. Dog - Hot dog
2. Cat - macaroni and kittens? :P
3. Fish - goldfish sushi
4. Bird - parrot pie
5. Hamster - spaghetti and hamsters
6. Turtle - turtle soup
7. Lizard
8. Guinea Pig
9. Gerbil
10. Ferret

Frog - Toad in the hole
Pig - micropigs in a blanket
Hermit crab - crabcakes
Rabbit - rabbit casserole
Chicken - roasted?

Inspiration

2010-02-17T00:14:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to share this new and inspiring artist I found: Scott Altmann. Also on Blogger. He really makes me want to design some book covers! Though I admit looking at his digital paintings is what made me feel bad about mine.

This one is my favorite. I love the composition and colors.

Hot Dog

2010-02-15T22:28:00.000-08:00

A WIP....still trying to figure out how to paint.

Vinyl stickers

2010-02-12T14:42:00.000-08:00

Sarah asked for this: Schtickers. That's where I got my laptop skin made. But don't just use the "make your own" page, cause it doesn't work with vector files. I think I e-mailed them my file after they kept messing up the printing.

Dragons

2010-02-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

35...good enough.

30. Groom Dragon (American Eagle)

31. Rainbow Dragon (Pier 1 Import)

32. Elegant Dragon (Ann Taylor)

33. Garden Dragon (Smith & Hawken)

34. Cyclist Dragon (The Bike Gallery)

35. Scrap Dragon #4

Natural Selections

2010-02-09T00:12:00.000-08:00

Really rough layout idea, starting with a classic hot dog!
Too much white space...Anyway, I want to refine my
painting skills this time.

Logo again.

30 dragons!

2010-02-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

9 more by Wednesday? We shall see.

23. Angel Dragon

24. Devil Dragon

25. Ducks Football Dragon

26. OVER 9000!!! Dragon

27, 28, 29. Scrap Dragons

2010-02-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

This is how I feel, minus the drum part.

Shirts!

2010-02-04T19:27:00.001-08:00

I bought some fabulous sun-yellow heatpress vinyl to make sunCentered shirts. But I'm going to have way too much! So I was coming up with some other shirt ideas.

My logo on teal, and my boyfriend's logo on forest.

What else is sun-yellow? Goldendors, of course! On kelly green.

Little fat dragon on purple.

Dragons

2010-02-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

Still trying to catch up....today is day 31. :( I dropped the arms to make them faster.

16. 17. 18. 19. A family of royal dragons.

20. Jester Dragon

21. Portland Forest Dragon

22. Hungry Pastry Chef Dragon

I am only 9 behind!

Other ideas: Groom, Over 9000, Ryu, Devil, Angel, Birthday, Disco, sunCentered, Police, Detective, Artist, Clown, Football (Dragonfly?, Snapdragon?)

Cookbook??

2010-02-01T23:53:00.000-08:00

So I have been thinking about making a cookbook with fake recipes for eating pets. Lulu.com looks promising. The book will be sponsored by a fake company.

Some company ideas:

So far my favorite is Natural Selections...though Google finds other things with that name. Oh well.

Dragons

2010-02-01T18:09:00.001-08:00

I need to figure out how to do these faster...these ones took all day.

11. Something Blue Bridal Dragon (Harry Ritchie's Jewelers)

12. Purple Dragon

13. Pink Dragon

14. Orange Dragon

15. Brown Dragon

New Dragons

2010-01-28T21:34:00.001-08:00

6. Air Dragon

7. Christmas Dragon

8. Hanukkah Dragon

9. Star Dragon (Macy's)

10. Fat Dragon

Website

2010-01-26T21:07:00.001-08:00

My new website!

www.suncentered.com

I still might change the logo text, but otherwise done.

More Dragons

2010-01-25T22:46:00.000-08:00

Trying to catch up..

4. Water dragon. His mantaray-esque flippers look odd in bag form.

5. Stereotypical French Dragon. She is le tired!

Dragons

2010-01-21T20:54:00.000-08:00

I decided making puppets out of paper bags was the most interesting option. I started with a few elemental dragons, and the class suggested I continue with themed dragons, as opposed to other animals.

1. Earth Dragon

2: Fire Dragon

3: Victoria('s Secret Dragon)

I made the "wig" from the bag handles. Figured I should use them.

Other dragon ideas:
Disco, Glitter, Christmas, Hanukkah, Obese, McDonald's, Water, Air, Organ Donor, Birthday, sunCentered

I need 63 more!

24 hour comic

2010-01-19T01:01:00.000-08:00

Our overall title was 17 (public transport 17). My subtitle is Larston. This comic is based on my List of Terrible Names (no offense if you have one). I have been collecting these names for years for no reason. I decided to make my 24 hour comic based off it. Sorry if it makes no sense, since I wrote the script within the first few hours! No inks cause that would take me waaaaayyy longer than 24 hours.

Character Designs:

2010-01-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

Ooooh How to Train Your Dragon artbook!
Is it just me, or would this movie look better in 2D, y/y? But I hear Chris Sanders is working on it, so it will be amazing.

Wahhhh so cute!

77 Ways

2010-01-06T23:04:00.000-08:00

For the 77 ways project, I'm going to use paper lunchbags. I found a bunch of them in my house, so they are free!! I have lots of ideas already.

Also, I'm working on re-designing my website again...

New Term

2010-01-04T20:11:00.001-08:00

New term, new year! Here's an awesome video I found. Especially cool since this is the cover of a book I have sitting on my desk constantly: The Animator's Survival Kit. An excellent book for animation, but I think it also helps for illustration.

And speaking of illustration, my New Year's resolution is to draw daily, because sometimes I get too busy to just sketch. Located at Suncentered Daily.

Finishing up

2009-12-06T21:53:00.001-08:00

Here's a mockup of what my wall will look like.

Sadly these aren't printed as big as I'd like, cause I didn't feel like shelling out $150+ to Kinko's. But there's a lot of them, so they will fit on the wall nicely, I hope. Ugghh so nervous.

Also, my statement:
Everyone loves their pets. Some people are very adamant about their preference for dogs versus cats. But when it comes to mealtime, would you prefer to eat a dog or a cat? Many animals we consider pets are also considered a delicacy in our own or other countries. Could you look at these adorable animals and then eat them for dinner?

Tasty Meats

2009-12-05T19:46:00.001-08:00

Mmm, meat. With labels carefully clonestamped out to preserve the illusion.

Horsey

2009-12-04T00:08:00.001-08:00

Hermit crabs are skittish

2009-12-02T14:16:00.001-08:00

Response 7

2009-12-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

Forgot to post this...

The System of Collecting was a fun article to read, though I disagree with many of his points on collecting. I have had a different experience with my own collections. Baudrillard starts by saying a refrigerator has a function, so one cannot possess it. I would disagree, I think that because the refrigerator is bought, it is possessed. I would consider my laptop my most valuable possession; it holds my life and is my basis for creating art. Not to mention I paid a pretty penny for it, so even though it functions, I own it.

Baudrillard has a very specific view on collections. He says that it usually starts before puberty, and resurfaces in 40 year old men as filling a sort of sexual desire. He says even the most innocent collections, like of porcelain eggs, are collected and hidden with a guilty aura, making it like a fetish. For me, my collections are totally innocent and on display. My collection of Disney DVDs gives me pleasure, and I want to show them off. They are proudly displayed on a shelf so others can be jealous, which is another facet of collecting that Baudrillard agrees on. This collection started later in life, not at any of the times Baudrillard says collecting starts. My collection of stuffed animals, particularly beanie babies, did start before puberty, though. I still display my favorite stuffed animals prominently on shelves or the bed, even if many of them remain in storage from lack of space. Neither of these collections are secret or guilty, so I think Baudrillard is wrong in this sense. No doubt many collections do fill a sort of sexual desire, as he says, but I don’t see it in mine.

I love dogs, so I don’t disagree with Baudrillard saying they are the perfect pet. But cat lovers would have a hard time with that statement. It’s interesting that he again brings up sexuality with the castration of animals. He calls animals objects, which is strange, but brings to mind robotic dogs. If the dog is so perfect, that would make robotic dogs the most perfect object. But one can’t have the same relationship with a fake dog. Baudrillard says “This is why one invests in objects all that one finds impossible to invest in human relationships.” And a dog is something that can love you back, without all the drama of human relationships, so I agree with the idea that a dog, or any pet, is placed in between persons and objects.
In the section “From Quantity to Quality: The Unique Object,” the collector complains about missing one engraving, even though it isn’t good quality. I can empathize with this, because I want to purchase Pinocchio, not because I like the movie, but because I want to complete my collection. This causes a conundrum of not wanting to waste money, but wanting the movie for my collection. Especially before it goes back into the Disney vault and goes up in price. It was enlightening to have this very desire shown by the article. But Baudrillard says collections are made not to be completed, because it causes passion in life. This is interesting to think about. I will never have to worry about ever completing my collection, because Disney makes so many movies. I am focusing on the animated ones, but have no desire for the terrible sequels. Since I will never be able to say I own all of Disney’s animated films, I will never go “mad,” as he says.

Baudrillard had some very interesting and insightful views on collecting, even if his views are overly sexual. After all, “When all is said and done, one never lends out one’s phallus.”

Updated

2009-11-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

I changed it again...dunno if it's better or what.

2009-11-19T22:41:00.001-08:00

Kitty. :)

Bunny. I'm thinking of doing all blue backgrounds, and getting rid of the captions and see how that looks.

Animals

2009-11-18T00:40:00.000-08:00

Working on some adorable animals...possibly to be paired with delicious food posters? These poster designs aren't set.

My Little Deer

2009-11-18T00:06:00.000-08:00

My Little Deer! A better personal deer, I think.

The New Valentine

2009-11-15T20:58:00.000-08:00

...that would have been a better title for the poster maybe? OH WELL IT'S DONE.

Antlers

2009-11-09T00:24:00.000-08:00

Luminous Deer antler design. I like it with just the left antler, but I wanted to see how it looked with both.

Response 6

2009-11-09T00:09:00.000-08:00

Alessi is an apparently very famous Italian design company that I had not previously heard of. This is unfortunate because their products are very unique. They have a toy-like quality, but are much more well designed and solid-looking than cheap children’s toys.

This article, Italian Style, focuses on Alberto Alessi. Alberto says that he studied law as a compromise for economics and architecture. This seemed odd, as I don’t see any connection between law and architecture. Especially at UO, where architecture is part of the allied arts, completely separate from the law school. But according to the article, he ended up in design development, which has an architectural slant. The article says that Alberto is producing wine, which will be a new Alessi product. This sounds strange, as the Alessi brand currently focuses on only home and office items and accessories. Turning towards drinkable products seems like a strange addition. Of course, Alessi does feature many elegantly designed wine glasses and decanters, so they could be marketed together. I could not find Alberto Alessi on the Alessi site list of designers, but the photographs in the article show products that look very whimsical. The smiling white object especially looks like some sort of toy.

I noticed that Ettore Sottsass is on the list of Alessi designers. I was surprised to see his name because he created the Valentine Typewriter, which I am remixing. Sottsass produced a very sleek sugar bowl for Alessi, since it was customary for designers to make things for tea service. One item that looks particularly toy-like is his “salt grinder.” It is made of polished, colored beech-wood with perfect, shiny curves. The shiny, red, black, and yellow wood evokes the feeling of an old fashioned toy. This agrees with my personal research on Sottsass, who tries to use playfulness in his work. Sottsass also believes a product should appeal to the senses, not the intellect.

The home page caught my eye with a new Alessi line, the Banana Family by Stefano Giovannoni, in collaboration with the National Palace Museum of Taiwan. While Taiwain does not generally make me think of monkeys, these monkeys definitely evoke an Asian feel with their anime-esqe squinty eyes and tasseled hats. These Banana monkeys have been made into every product imaginable: place markers, spice holders, caps, salt and pepper shakers, egg cups, napkin rings, bowls, and toothpick holders, to name a few. These monkeys are the most playful and toy-like of all Alessi products. But the interesting part is that they are all fully functional, so a child could enjoy playing with an object that adults also get use out of. My favorite was the Banana Bros salt and pepper set, because these two cheerful monkeys are riding in a banana. This would make a great centerpiece, as well as getting rid of ugly salt and pepper shakers. However, having a kitchen full of banana monkeys seems a bit excessive.

Another playful product that is not in the Taiwan collaboration line is Pirovano Stefano’s Canaglia nail clipper. It looks like a small animal who trims nails with its mouth. The animal has no face, which is slightly creepy. I also found a Merdolino Toilet brush, which is hilarious. The handle of the brush looks like a very simplified plant. It is stored in a blue pot. This is the perfect solution to beautifying a bathroom and getting rid of an ugly toilet brush. There is also a bathtub plug aptly named Mr. Suicide. A small drowning man is attached to the plug. These products are both humorous and functional.

I enjoyed discovering Alessi because their products are so fun and playful. Unfortunately, it gives me the desire to fill my future home with Alessi items, which are quite expensive.

Luminous Deer

2009-11-01T22:32:00.001-08:00

My luminous deer. :) This would probably be hard to vinyl cut, but I like it better with a glow.

Also, the original text. I want to do the whole alphabet sometime...

Puppy

2009-10-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

Working on ideas of eating taboos....could you eat this? Based on a photo of my beloved late puppy....

Art Theft

2009-10-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

This is absolutely ridiculous....

http://www.johntunger.com/legal-defense-fund.html

Votives!

2009-10-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

They're done! There is one more 7" one that wasn't glued at the time of photos. One panel of the second 5" didn't cut through for some reason, so it's on hold for a while. I can't wait to try them with actual candles! They took sooo long to cut. Also it doesn't help that I accidentally cut 12 bottoms instead of 6. Dummmmb!

Lasercutting

2009-10-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

So I got my files all prepped for lasercutting. Today I thought I would go to Crosscut Hardwoods and buy some wood! But it turns out Trimet is incompetent at getting to that location before 3:00. It gave me this gem:

?????
Sorry, but if I get on at Chinatown at 12:15, I will not be able to get off at Chinatown at 2:45. Oh Trimet. So I guess I'll be going after class tomorrow. :P

Here is my file. I'm making candle covers that are 3, 5, and 7" high, 3" square. I hope they won't be too hard to glue! I don't have much experience with this sort of thing.

Design Remix Notes

2009-10-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the photos, my scanner's not hooked up yet.

Here are my notes on the Olivetti Valentine typewriter.

And here's the idea I had based on my research....a purse!

Lasercutting

2009-10-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here is what I made in Lasercutting class this weekend! This was just a test run. 3.5" square on wood. I used my personal logo for the test! It's a sun with a C.

I was also really enamored with the cut out part, so I appropriated some leather and a bead from a small bag I had, and made a necklace.

I think for the project in this class, I want to make other objects with my logo cut out, like a lantern cover that you could put a candle in.

Reading Response 3

2009-10-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

My Conception of the Bauhaus is written by the founder of the Bauhaus, Walter Gropius, and goes into detail about how the Bauhaus school worked. This was interesting to me because I remember studying the Bauhaus years ago in Art History, but never in such detail about the students’ training process. The Bauhaus is a four year program, like most colleges, but the experience is much more intense. The students start with a 6-month training period, where they get to train in all different types of handcrafts. Then they train under two masters for three years. I would have loved such an opportunity, to experiment with so many different crafts, and then get direct attention from art masters. I feel a little behind because I jumped straight into drawing and graphic design, and am only now learning things such as lasercutting and vinyl-cutting.

Dieter Rams is an artist who was heavily influenced by the Bauhaus principles. After the in-depth explanation about the Bauhaus training process, I was disappointed that Rams did not talk about his own artistic process. Rams is very short and vague with most of his interview answers, but he did mention that he likes to mix materials. It is interesting to note, though, that he studied architecture for only one year at the Werkkunstschule Wiesbaden, then left to learn carpentry. This is different from Bauhaus students with their six months of preliminary training, and then three years of workshop training. The interview does say Rams graduated college, but it does not specify how long he was in college. In his interview, Rams talks about how he believes form following function, which was a big part of the Bauhaus. This also makes me think of my remix object, the Valentine typewriter, designed by Ettore Sottsass. He wanted to keep the functionality of the typewriter, but make it portable and stylish. It still has the basic typewriter form, but it is much sleeker, and can fold up. The plastic material also makes the Valentine typewriter portable, like a laptop.

One major principal of the Bauhaus is that design is an integral part of life, necessary for everyone in a civilized society. This is very different from Adolf Loos’s view that “no ornament can any longer be made today by anyone who lives on our cultural level.” I agree with the Bauhaus principal over Loos’s view. Even in the simplest and most un-artistic pieces of furniture, there is unavoidably design, which Loos fails to see. Rams believes that design is a culture, but that the word “design” is over-used in society. Another Bauhaus principal was to eliminate “art for art’s sake.” This reminded me of the practices of Irwin, Wortz and Turrell in Seeing is Forgetting, who also didn’t want to just make art, but instead art came out of their research experiments.

Near the beginning of the article, Gropius says the Bauhaus does not have a style. But near the end he says homogeneity was part of all Bauhaus products. This gives all Bauhaus products a similarity, a unity. Their goal was to design things “simply and truthfully in accordance with their intrinsic laws.” One could argue that this is a Bauhaus “style,” even if it is not a visually similar style. By saying that the Bauhaus work is homogeneous, it means that somehow it is recognizable, despite how different the products may be. Rams also talks about style; he says he did not invent the “Braun style,” but he does not deny that it is a style. Part of the Bauhaus goal was to improve industrial goods and buildings. Rams certainly does this with his products and furniture for Braun. Whether or not it is a “style,” Bauhaus principals of design have clearly influenced many artists.

Portfolio Site

2009-10-13T23:30:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to updating my online portfolio for the sake of internships, and in preparation for the studio visit. Mostly, I made individual pages for each project. Also, I'm so enamored with my blog name, I changed the name of my portfolio. Well, before it didn't have a name. So the main page looks cooler! And I figured out how to make a address bar icon. :D Next step, suncentered.com, heh.

Portfolio Site

Reading Response 2

2009-10-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

Foreword to The Herman Miller Collection is about how Herman Miller creates an honest product with furniture that is not designed for the market. This makes their furniture original and innovative. As an artist, I appreciate how they strive to stay true to the designer. Reading this reminded me of the video Merchants of Cool. This movie was all about marketing, and how companies would hold research groups with teenagers to try to figure out what “cool” is. Then they could design their product and advertising around “cool.” This practice caters to the customer, and is the exact opposite of what Herman Miller is doing. Herman Miller is obviously a very successful company, and proves that design can surpass market research. This is encouraging from an artistic standpoint. Usually I don’t notice furniture as art, but I agree with what this article is saying about Herman Miller’s furniture specifically. I found their chairs to be the most striking, notably the Eames chairs. Creative design has definitely been pushed in these chairs, more so than their desks, which are sleek, but very straight-edged. The “Nelson Marshmallow Sofa” is made from many circular cushions, and is very unique.

Ornament and Crime by Loos was highly opinionated and offensive. I gather that Loos has no appreciation for design, and is clearly not an artist. He goes on and on about how ornament is a waste of time, and says that people who find ornaments beautiful are not cultivated. Loos also thinks that a plain cigarette case is better than an ornamented one. I doubt any advertiser would approve of that. Package design is part of what entices consumers to buy the product. For example, with wine there is no real way to tell what’s good and what’s not. So the packaging makes a big impression on the consumer. I love looking at the different wine labels, and don’t think that “slows down the cultural evolution,” as Loos so ineloquently puts it. Loos says art has replaced the ornament, but ornaments have design in them. He complains about ornaments on his shoes, and makes fun of the shoemaker who would want to make him ornamented shoes. But I think Nike designers make art through their shoes, so how can Loos say ornament is not art? Loos also classifies people with tattoos as “degenerate.” This is a view that has been changing over the years. While some people still get tattooed to show how tough they are, others design a personal, artistic symbol to ink on the canvas of their body. This by no means makes them degenerate. Loos also puts down graffiti. True, some graffiti defaces public property and has no artistic value; but graffiti style can also create great works of art. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but it bothers me that he writes this essay like his opinion is scientific fact.

I enjoyed Design and Crime because it disagrees with Loos without ever directly saying he is wrong. Foster’s writing style is very different that way. He talks of the values of packaging that I agree with, and that Loos does not understand. Foster says, “Design is also inflated as the package all but replaces the product.” This made me think of the product Aquapod in particular, which is marketed towards children. It’s only bottled water, but they are trying to sell the fact that it’s bottled water in a round water bottle. Bottled water is about as unoriginal as a product can get, but the way Aquapod is marketed, you are supposed to think it will make your life exciting. When Foster says that “the product is no longer thought of as an object to be produced so much as a datum to be manipulated,” that again reminds me of Merchants of Cool. I agree with Foster’s views far more than Loos’s.

Design Remix

2009-10-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

I got the Valentine Typewriter.

I have some ideas already, possibly involving sewing and poodles. When I flesh them out through sketches, they will be posted. I'm kind of excited about it.

Also, this makes me laugh every single time. 40 Worst Rob Liefeld Drawings. It always makes me feel better about my art!

Secret Santa

2009-10-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

Cool handmade journals out of found objects.

The Black Spot
The Black Spot on Etsy

Color

2009-10-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

So, I am thinking about things I want to research. Something I feel I am very weak on is color theory. I really want to improve on drawing in general as well, but I think color is more important at this point. Color really creates emotion, so I want to understand how to control it better. I can always get better at drawing. That is constant.

An artist I admire linked this, so I thought I would share. Lou Romano did a lot of amazing color scripting for The Incredibles and UP. Very inspiring to look at!

Reading Response 1

2009-10-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Seeing is Forgetting, though it starts off talking about artists collaborating with major companies, quickly moves on to the collaboration between two artists and a NASA scientist. In school, science and art are taught as completely different subjects. However, Robert Irwin talks at great lengths about the similarities of artists and scientists. While some of it makes sense, some of it I would disagree with.

Irwin, Wortz, and Turrell did many sensory deprivation experiments. I found it interesting that they said they wanted to make art out of these experiments not for the sake of making art, but to “focus their considerations.” This is interesting to me because it is very different from how I work. I try to think of ideas that would make exciting art pieces, with the focus of producing artwork. While I may experiment with different styles and mediums, it is with the specific purpose of making a better finished art piece. It might be helpful to my creative process to try to think like Irwin and Turrell, but I imagine it would be difficult to train my brain to think in such a different fashion.

The most striking part of their sensory deprivation experiments was the artistic result. Most artists are probably more observant of the world in general than non-artists. But after sitting in an anechoic chamber, they became even more attuned to the world’s color and detail. While that makes sense, it is not what first comes to mind when I think sensory deprivation. Instead, I think of it being used as a form of torture. Torture victims probably do not come out of sensory deprivation with a more acute appreciation for vivid color. They would probably be too focused on being free of the nothingness to make artistic observations of the world. That these three men would purposely subject themselves to eight hours of nothingness for the sake of art is remarkable. Talk about suffering for your art.

Irwin compares art and science with a “trial and error” analogy. He says both artists and scientists try different combinations and end with a finished result. I would argue against this; at what point is art ever finished? Taking painting specifically, there is always an area that could be blended more, or roughened up depending on the artist’s preference. Irwin says artists stop when something “feels right.” But some art is finished when the artist has tried so many combinations and still nothing seems right, so the piece is finished. Whenever I look at my old art, I see proportions that could be improved upon, or elements that should be shifted over slightly for a better composition. Maybe a piece of art is never actually finished, but there has to come a point where the artist stops working on it, at least for a long period of time. This is very different from a scientific experiment; for in science the goal is to complete a finished product that can be repeated over and over to achieve the same result. Two pieces of art can never be exactly the same, no matter how hard you try to copy something. Of course, Irwin is right, as well. There can be times a piece of art feels finished. Whether or not that will remain true at a later date is a different story, though.

Irwin also says “All art is experience, yet all experience is not art.” I think this statement is heavily influenced by Irwin’s own creative process. He says the artist “chooses the experience” to share with the viewer. But there is a lot of art out there that is just eye candy, created for the sake of gaining popularity. There is no personal experience or deeper meaning behind it. Is this still an experience for the viewer? Maybe not a very powerful one, if at all. But Irwin, who spends hours on end in sensory deprivation, has a very powerful experience to share.

Testing

2009-09-30T21:12:00.001-07:00

First post! I'm not really sure what this should be about...So here is an amazing video of Glen Keane, my idol, drawing. I have a huge passion for 2D animation, but not enough patience for it. But Glen's amazing animations are very inspirational to me.