field guide

July 13, 2010 inspire

inspired by . Christian’s Colors

If this collection of images doesn’t bring a smile to your face, then you seriously need a Blow-Pop. Through the Twitter post of a friend, I stumbled across the wonderful collection of retro everything from Christian Montone captured in photos. It made me smile, and we all need a smile on a Tuesday. Click on the images to visit Christians’ FLICKR SET for a closer look at these colorful flashes from the past.

When I was browsing his photographs, I noticed links to three delightful blogs where Christian shares his love of packaging, retro images and found objects — not to mention his own work. I’m inspired this afternoon by his sense of whimsy, his love of color and his unconventional style. It’s creativity happening! See for yourself…

AJAX ALL PURPOSE BLOG
SKETCHBOOK VAULT
CHRISTIAN MONTONE

July 7, 2010 inspire

Creative Types: Jewelry by Aurora Rogers

I’m privileged to enjoy the inspirations of many “creative types” in my line of work (and in my circle of friends). Their creative pursuits come in all shapes and sizes and mediums, but the ingenuity and innovative ideas are apparent regardless of venue. I like to pay attention to these folks because creativity tends to inspire more creativity, and I like to be a part of paying that forward. For those readers who may say “but I’m not artistic,” I’ll spare you the “creativity” lecture I gave the students from my Starkville Home Educators art classes. But, suffice it to say that I’m a firm believer in the notion that we are all creative beings at our core. We each tap into that creativity in different ways, be it writing, cooking, time management, or any number of more traditional artistic pursuits. I’m always curious when I encounter creative types… “what inspires your creativity?” The answers always inspire me to delve deeper into my own creative bent.

Princessa Handcrafted Jewelry

I met Aurora Rogers when she was still in high school, and two things that stood out to me in her very vibrant personality were her love of making things and her love of jewelry. Over the years I’ve noticed that not much has changed in those two loves, only the way she’s executed them. Her latest adventure in combining the two is the Princessa line of handcrafted jewelry. Aurora’s pieces are created with the “every day princess in mind.” And what girl doesn’t want to be a princess?

Aurora, who is a working graphic designer as well, applies her love of color and pattern, as well as her experienced design sense to each piece. Plus, she donates a portion of all her sales to whatever cause, issue, or even needful family that is moving her heart at the moment. I love the giving nature. I love the bead work. I love the colors. I love the whimsy of the multi-strands. And holy cowboys and indians, folks, I love the boot anklet.

When we were talking about this post, I asked Aurora to answer one question… What’s inspiring you today? Her answer…

“Today, I am inspired by being useful and productive … solving a problem really ignites my creativity and motivates me into action — which does not sound creative at all.

If I dig a little deeper into my “creative intellect”, the things that inspires me most today and any day are color and patterns.”

Well, I’m inspired too. See  more of Aurora’s work at www.honeyandlove.com

July 6, 2010 inspire

inspired by . Sea and Sky

My first exposure to Casey Gunschel’s stunning textile designs was through an article earlier this year in House Beautiful. It highlighted her Palace Papers herringbone pattern created from the delicate textures of fern fronds. I was absolutely inspired by the subtle surprise of the fern leaves awaiting a closer look at the traditional menswear texture.

When I was choosing the “grey” wall color for my office, I looked again at the Palace Papers line for inspiration. Ms. Gunschel’s intricate depictions of ravens and fish (sea and sky) in the “Nevermore” and “Coy” patterns took my breath away. I couldn’t resist the sophisticated neutrals and aquas as well as the vibrant rhythm of the shapes. It’s easy to see the inspiration Ms. Gunschel took from her Cape Cod roots. Enjoy!

July 5, 2010 in the studio

Sketchy Ideas

My friends Jennifer and Juliette deserve “thank you” notes. These two fabulous women, whom I most often connect with via Facebook, were kind enough to send me special “happies” last week to celebrate the move to my new home office. Sweets and jewelry–two of a girl’s best friends. The gifts have served to confirm for me the power of acknowledgement, even in the business world. I’ll save the soap box for another post, but the common courtesies we learned from our mothers and grandmothers are just as important for doing business as they were for sweet 16 parties and high school graduations. The fact is; “please” and “thank you” are solid marketing strategies–perhaps even more so in today’s digital age than ever before.

To that end, I decided some custom Small Pond notecards were in order based on a few sketchy ideas. Literally. I think I’ve mentioned that I have been weeding through files (and piles) over the last few weeks. It’s an integral part of moving offices. Sadly, it hasn’t been an integral part of my organizational routine, so the process of late has netted some crazy stuff.

I keep most of my sketches for design projects, especially those “doodles” used in developing logo designs. The sketches are kind of like visual brainstorming sessions with overlapping images and notes, little dots or boxes representing where the text might go, and the occasional note about reference material. These doodles sometimes segue into drawings on tracing paper (or bumwad, as I learned in architecture school) destined to be scanned. Being the design pack-rat that I am, I keep almost all these wrinkled pages. You just never know when they might come in handy.

As you can imagine, I found a considerable set of sketchy blissdom when weeding through my office piles, and dutifully filed them away in drawer #2 of the red filing cabinet. I decided they would make nice visuals for the inaugural “Sketch Paper” series of Small Pond notecards. I may subject you to more of the sketches and their stories here at Plop! as time goes on. Meanwhile, you are the first to have a peek at the notecard designs, and I plan to enlist the USPS in firing off a couple to Jennifer and Juliette this week. Saying “thank you” is important, even if the “look” is a little sketchy. Come to think of it, YOU deserve a “thank you” for reading these Pond ramblings. So, message me your address and I’ll fire off one for you too!

June 24, 2010 in the studio

In Context

Context is so important in what I do. As a designer, my task often swings between responding to context and creating context. Logos, brochures, websites and Facebook posts don’t stand alone. Like all marketing efforts, they exist within a context–some kind of framework. To be successful, good design work and good marketing practices must not only communicate, but even persuade within the context where they are used. What good is a poster if those seeing it can’t relate to it? What good is a logo if it works in the context of a billboard, but not in the context of a business card? Determining context is an integral part of an effective design process.

It’s not that different with people. As I’ve been explaining my move out into the Small Pond to friends, colleagues and clients, one of the first things they wonder about is context. Will you have an office? Can we still meet with you if we want to? Where are you going to work? I asked myself all those same questions when I began the leap into small business ownership. I’ve realized how important the “backdrop” of my work is to me–how much it colors the creative process.

I’m happy to share that I do indeed have an office. It’s a converted space at my home that will afford me just enough privacy and just enough access to the refrigerator to make my work days productive and worthwhile. A separate entrance will give clients a quick way to sample my Pond and a seating and meeting space will facilitate great idea-sharing. I posted last week that my wall color of choice was Sherwin Williams 6078 “Realist Beige.” Six thousand boxes, sundry office supplies, a few cans of spray paint and several kid masterpieces later, the office is hopping into shape.

It’s a work in progress, but I hope you’ll enjoy this first look! Stop by after July 1st to see it in action (and maybe wall art). Welcome to my Pond!