Calligraphy Today
Calligraphy has been making a big splash around town over the last couple of years. This handcrafted way of writing is all over the internet, flooding our homes and, of course, maintaining its space in one of our most precious of days—wedding days! It has been growing so fast lately that it seems every piece of décor has some sort of hand lettered quote, name or holiday written on it.
I’ve always loved the artwork that accompanies an album. I remember checking out a dozen CDs from the library to listen to on my dad’s Walkman and pore over the lyric booklets.
Even though most of my day-to-day listening is streamed now, I still enjoy collecting CDs and records to experience the physical copies.
A lot of great music has come out recently with visual artwork to go with it! Continue reading …
Getting to Know the Locals: Chris Beetow
11/29/2018
Chris Beetow is an illustrator best known for her pet portraits. Chris does commissioned illustration and is a professor at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD). Continue reading …
Encounters with Color
11/20/2018
I was out and about with friends when halfway through the day, we noticed that almost everyone had green on. This sparked a hot debate about color (and color theory). Continue reading …
Yoga benefits you can apply at work
11/14/2018
All jobs come with unique stressors. Deadlines, customer service or even co-workers can make you feel a bit drained at the end of the day.
A couple years ago, I wanted give yoga try. Initially, my goal was to increase strength and flexibility. After some searching, I came across Yoga with Adriene on Youtube. Adriene has a light-hearted and educated approach to the practice. Bonus: It was free, and I could practice in my living room.
In January of 2018, I completed Adriene’s True 30 Day Yoga Journey. I showed up on the mat every day without fail. I scheduled the time and made it a priority. While I did become more flexible and strong, I noticed bigger overall changes: Continue reading …
Design Trends: Memphis
10/25/2018
Put yourself back in the 1970s. Imagine the minimalist, straight and structured design that fit the status quo. Now enter Ettore Sottsass, a designer from Milan, Italy who gathered up a group of designers and architects for the sole purpose of breaking every rule about “good” design. They called themselves the Memphis Group.
You may be asking yourself why the trend is called “Memphis” if it was created in Italy. They took their name from the Bob Dylan song Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again. This song played over and over again during their first meeting.
This rebellious movement celebrated the unrestricted and free-spirited exploration of creative design. They wanted to shift their thinking to be “radical, funny and outrageous.”
Connecting Naturally To Design
10/10/2018
Lake of the Clouds, Michigan / Lake Superior
In a nutshell, graphic designers create. We live by a digital code. However, in this age fueled by social media and a lightning-fast internet, the most important sources of inspiration are often taken for overlooked.
As we produce more, swipe more, tag more, post more, the connection with our environment and planet drifts quietly away. We see through our screens rather than taking in all that surrounds us. We seem to almost forget that the earth itself has provided us with everything we need to survive: food, water, shelter, oxygen. Visual and artistic inspiration is less basic but also extremely important.
Design is in the details; the details are in the design. Interesting enough, nature provides that for us, as long as we are interested and know where to look. It may require some exploration, but taking in nature’s beauty has proven to be an extremely worthwhile and beneficial task to undertake.
Take, for instance, a recent trip I took to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with a group of good college friends. As we pushed north, cell service became more sporadic and then was not to be found. Before we finally arrived on the shores of Lake Superior, I’d almost forgotten places like this existed. Serene and quiet, filled with vibrant colors and environment, the elements of design were all around, creating an intricate and beautiful piece for our eyes.