A cool photo set of antique beer cans!

2011.14/52

Story Quilt Icons

I became obsessed with making a system of icons while working on a probono project at work. This may be part of a identity system for a public works project. So often I work so diligently on something that doesn't see the light of day, and all my passion went into something I can't share with anyone due to confidentiality.

That's why I created this project (52 in 2011) for myself. So at the end of the year I can say "look at all this art/design/photo/film I created."

I love artists who are obsessed, and like Mies van der Rohe I also believe "God is in the Details." Sometimes, creatively, obsessions with styles can be costly if you miss the mark. Fortunately everyone likes this so far. Hopefully the client will too.

I've been obsessed with cuckoo clocks, chandeliers, trophy heads, etc.

I want to break out of my 2D tendencies for some future projects. One is creating my own cuckoo clock (probably not with working cuckoo *darnit*) , redesigning the aesthetic in a contemporary fashion.

I was riding my bike in the country and a light bulb turned on above my head. What about a cuckoo bird house?! I thought I was a genius until I google searched it. Darn. But maybe once I make the clocks I will create an alt version of a bird house.

Other ideas for bird houses I've wanted to make: miniature version of my house and mini-skyscrapers/skyline.

Unfortunately last year my dog died. So we tried to get out of the house a lot to take our minds off of it. We went to a boutique where I saw these wooden silhouettes of animals called "Kingdom Animalia" by a Brooklyn studio called Enormous Champion. Perhaps once I have the jigsaw out I will make a silhouette of my pet dog as a remembrance.

2011.13/52

Bird Rescue Logo

A while ago I worked on a logo for a bird rescue. Some days I feel so witty, like a freakin' genius. I noticed the serif of a B looks like a bird beak, and a R looks like a wing. So I created this fun bird icon, the top part is bird, the bottom says rescue. I thought this was clear, simple, elegant, witty. Then I got to the internal review and was blasted out of the water by constructive criticism. Wankers.

2011.12/52

Creative Juices Poster

This isn't really for anything. Someone said creative juices the other day, made me feel a little gross. This image of the c & j letterforms popped in my head and they looked a bit naughty. Perhaps some day the AIGA will need a poster for a design conference/orgy...

2011.11/52

Cincinn-ARTY

Dustin, a colleague at work curates and seeks submissions of artwork for AEQAI, an online journal of Cincinnati's visual arts.

He contacted me about created a Splash page visual for the April edition of AEQAI. I wanted to create something specific for the magazine, so the idea of Cincinnati's landmarks becoming tools for making art popped into my head. A cold modernist building like the Kroger building is a ruler, the Carew Tower is a number Ca2ew pencil, Central Trust is a can of spray paint sky-writing AEQAI, the new Great American building is a brush and Union Terminal is a boom box (part of graffiti culture and performance art). I was kind of inspired by New Yorker magazine covers.

I'm excited to be part of a group of my favorite local designers like Dustin, Keith Neltner and Tommy Sheehan.

2011.10/52

Analog Analog Series #1
Saint Louis Cemetary Tomb

If my last post was the beginning of my "Analog World" series — then this is a spin off where I draw versions of my favorite analog photos. Applications could be paintings, coloring books, silkscreen posters...

This process of going more analog with something already analog seems unique to me because on a daily basis I create design artwork in the computer, sometimes basing it on digital photographing. It's like getting sick of racing a Ferrari and choosing to drive a horse and buggy to "find your soul"! But in all reality this is old hat to anyone practicing art more than a few years ago. In some ways I have a similar inclination to the Post Family from Chicago featured in the Typeface movie.

As you can see my hand skills need a wee bit of work but it's fun to liberate myself. On a side note, I need to up my art production: if I am to produce 1 piece of art per week for an entire year, I should of produced 15 pieces of art by now...

Also, here is a process pic showing my under drawing:

I've had a really inspiring week of culture. Monday night was a visit to Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center to see Typeface the movie presented by the local AIGA. It's about the Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Wisconsin.




We walked around after the film and saw the current exhibits, including one on Keith Haring. I always liked Keith Haring and I would like to go again and really read into his life story and influences.




Thursday we went to a lecture by Thomas Widdershoven of the Dutch graphic design firm Thonik. Thonik does quite a lot of design for the public and his lecture really inspired some of my thinking for a small project that I am doing for a county in Ohio. In one campaign Thonik used new media and wit to revolutionize the Socialist Party in Holland.




And on Friday my photog friend Dion and I visited the Cincinnati Art Museum to see the Circus Poster Exhibit, as well as a Dutch Modern Design exhibit and the 21st Century Art.



The amount of detail and the artisanship of the Circus Posters is incredible. The old stone lithography style where they used pencils to paint on the image create some beautiful results. And they sometimes used handmade lettering and woodtype at other times. Very cool!

2011.9/52

How the West was Won

I visited Austin, Texas a little over a month ago to see my sister. We visited the State Capitol building at sunset and the light was really hitting this statue in a beautiful manner.

I shot a holga as well as the polaroid below.

I heart Kid Cudi. I love the mixing of color in this but the overall desaturated images.



This one is very Michel Gondry-esque, super cool. There is also a second version of the video that is more traditional hip hop-ish with party shots.

The "Day 'n Nite" video is sweet too with video mixing with drawings.

More type specimens from my trip to New Orleans. I'm on a fancy kick lately!

2011.8/52

Saint Louis Cemetary Tomb: Deaf Prayers
Holga 120mm, Custom Frame, 400sp Fuji Color, Cross-Processed in C41 chemicals.

I have always loved photography. It was a real pleasure to learn how to develop my own film, setting my shutter speed/exposure settings. Sometime around 2002 I embraced film again as a reaction to poor quality in inexpensive digital cameras. Then I was introduced to Holgas and Polaroids. My interpretation of these tools was that they were punk, lo-fi and DIY — and the grit, blurriness and light leaks reminded me of the poorly transferred French films I watched as a teen.

Film makes you focus (no pun intended). You got 10 Polaroids, 12 Square Holgas. Is this shot going to be worth the cost? In 2006 I went to Europe with only a Polaroid — I didn't want to live behind the camera lens. Sounds nice. In theory...

My lovely wife and I just went on a trip to New Orleans. I new there would be killer scenes to photography. I went overboard and took three cameras: my new digital SLR, my Holga and Polaroid.

Someday I hope to compile these photographs into an exhibit. My working title is currently "Analog World."

My friend Tommy showed me this video posted on the Good.is website.

Just some designers and their projects that have been inspiring me lately:

http://statemottosproject.com/gallery/

http://www.danielraycole.com/

http://www.mikeyburton.com/

http://YoungJerks.com/#598329/God-Bless-The-Midwest

http://www.pencilpluspaper.com/

A couple of fancy type samples I saw while I was in New Orleans.

Images from Fleurdlicious and A Wardrobe of Whiskey.

2011.7/52

In A Rut

I'm not super sure about this one yet... It's an amalgamation of Nikki McClure and Michael Schwab...

The idea is create a strong image of a rider riding through a muddy/icy rut. An image that could be easily manipulated by the colors chosen for the silkscreen — feeling like winter using blue tones or late autumn using browns.

2011.6/52

For the past few months I have been creating my own typography out of simple Illustrator stroked paths. The effect is a very fun and friendly typestyle.

2011.5/52 Snowy Creek

I've been playing a lot outside — cycling, running and hiking in the snow. I find the snowy woods really beautiful and I am grateful I live in a pace that gets al four seasons and that we have had a lot of snow for the past two years.

These shots are from a few weeks ago. I was inspired by a Holga I shot two years ago and I hope to convert these pics into a cool graphic landscape (see Holga and an old poster I created below).

2011.4/52 Winter Sunsets

I was walking my dog in the woods and I was really inspired by the stark contrast of the bare branches and the progressing sun setting on the horizon. I took a photo and extracted the branches — intending to make a silkscreen plate from this. This one plate with a dark brown or black ink could be printed over various skies made by smearing ink and/or printmaking.

I would see this as a continual scene (tryptich) or one cropped scene printed over a series of skies. This silkscreen plate would also be cool if I traced the photograph in ink — giving the branches and trees a rougher impression.

I just heard of this band. I really dig their sound, super chill like a psychedelic StereoLab.

2011.3/52

A couple weeks ago I took advantage of a gloomy morning to capture the bar down the street from where I grew up. There were times in the past where it was notorious for being rough — so I played up an underlying sinister feeling in my photography.

This is freakin creepy but it's really cool. I've been wanting to create a film based upon "Das Kabinet der Doktor Caligari" for years. I need to clean out the garage and get crackin!

Another week kicking out some sweet graphic jams. Making sweet logos using visual wit, tons of custom lettering and pretty cycling kit designs. This week I'm also pouring some out for my dead concepts — something that worked in my head but not quite on paper.

The middle logo is for my wife whose bike racin' nickname is B-jet short for Bridget.

A couple quick identity sketch concepts for an excellent photographer and friend. I hope to make a lovely mark and a slightly intrusive watermark. The bottom captures the idea of a shutter/bike wheel in a pretty color wheel — this might look lovely with overlapping transparent shapes.

2011.2/52

For my second week/art piece of 2011 I created identity variations on the Educational Foundation for the Colorado National Guard. I love this part of the process — creating simple solutions that are very effective and use a combination of symbols to create a new meaning to creating something abstract and poetic.

The logo I featured is a book (closed, as if finished, symbolic of graduation), tilted upwards for optimism and also to symbolize flight. I created dynamic energy within the icon which begins to imply the E anf F letterforms.

In future rounds of work I hope to create custom logo-typography as well.

This video combines moving images with crap printing techniques, two of my favorite things. I might swipe some of these techniques for a future video.

This is nerdy but I really dig my new shoes from Suacony, the Jazz model with Oktoberfest Bicentennial theme. Nice attention to detail, the blue and white relating to the Bavarian flag and there is a maß of beer on the insole and a boot of beer on the tongue! Certain material, like the heel and the shoelaces are imitation leather to kick it old school. And nice hits of gold to boot. Nothing is over the top and screaming wannabe German.

A trip to the wine and beer store always is a bit inspirational.



The intrigue of these Alpha Box and Dice wine labels caught my eye. They are designed by an Aussie firm named Mash.








I'm really digging the ornate vintage logotypes of Molly Dooker, Velvet Glove and The Bruery. I want to pursue being able to create flourishy type with mega ligatures this year.




I also love the old school Parisienne feel of St. Germain.

2011.1/52
I was inspired to make this "Kings of Cross" poster after attending a cyclocross race at the old Kingswood Golf Course last weekend. I love the image of a King holding a bike over his head while attempting to clear a barrier, kind of Picasso in its bending of perspective and Escher in its symmetry. I drew the playing card inpired art with sharpie and scanned it in to arrange the elements.

You can find more of my posters at Flickr.

I love hand-drawing my typography. It harkens back to the old days of hand-painted signs, and photostat logos and lettering. Sometimes I trace these in Illustrator and clean them up, but other times I use them in their rough state with all their humanistic flaws and irregularities.

I did a bunch of typefaces — some inspired by the title cards in Jean Luc Godard's films, some by old art nouveau perfume packaging.

Vicious Valentine: Never Go to Bed Angry from CinéCinnati on Vimeo.

I'm still playing catch up after a vicious hard drive failure — finally putting the finishing touches on a short film Bridget, Chrissy and I made in March of 2008! It is part of my Valentine series, or "Vicious Valentines" as I am now calling them, a failed feature film that has turned into a series of shorts about a man named Dede who has very "unfortunate Februarys."

Here is a link to Chrissy's production stills of the shoot.

This is what our nephew thinks Bridget looks like:

The Singing Bridge from CinéCinnati on Vimeo.

This is an example of an experimental documentary style I was developing around 2002-2006. I experimented with abstractly communicating the history of a place with only sound and image — almost if the memories of a place would come alive while you were visiting.

I just found an incomplete edit on an old disc — unfortunately my source files have been lost due to a hard drive failure and this project was never completed.

Many thanks to Chris Bautista who ran sound while we were filming. Later we had a production "wrap party" at Mullanes. Oh memories!

My new year's resolution for 2011 will be to create at least one piece of art each week. It could be a photograph, design, film, sculpture, etc,. I would also like to share the work of my friends and followers as well, perhaps here and there we will do themed contests as well.

A bit of decadence for the holidays


For the past year my workload has been pretty diversified and I really love it. I work on everything from detergent to water to snacks to air fresheners to chocolate to liqueur and sometimes coffee and identity projects.

I love customizing a design to fit a unique brand and their consumers. I create a lot of typography for custom logos and it is something I have had a passion for since design school.

This year I drew a coloring book for my nieces and nephews for Christmas. I really loved making this for them — it is rare that anyone gets to see my actual drawings as a finished product.


Cover with Animal Numbers.


Shepard Fairey even made it into the book!


I love the detail of Bridget's cyclocross bike on the right.

I think I will do this more often. It has been a few years since I have pushed myself to use my drawing and painting skills in projects.

I've been racing bikes a lot lately, actually that is why I stopped posting on this blog for nearly 3 years. I have another blog called JimmyRoadRash where I also experiment with design while telling cycling stories. This video combines the aesthetic of the blog from the Summer/Fall of 2010 with video by Thomas Campbell and Brian Vernor. I really love abstract, soulful videos that capture the beauty of sport as well as at times capture what it is like to participate. Thomas Campbell's films are beautiful and there are moments in Brian Vernor's films where you feel you are in a race.

Today I had the opportunity to present my film Summer at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Fortunately someone remembered my video and asked for me to present it in front of an audience. I even made a "making of featurette" that I narrated after my film was shown.





Chrissy, Tommy, Mummy & Pappy could make it, we celebrated my Mom's birthday in the Museum Café.



I'm about to wow the "crowd." I mean, I'm about to wow 4-6 old ladies.

A short promo I created for a local Cyclocross race weekend. Cyclocross is a form of off-road cycling that requires cyclist to dismount their bikes to get over barriers, it is as much fun to race as it looks bizarre.

Lovely little video I found on Vimeo:

PORTOFINO from I C Blue Production on Vimeo.

The Tourist
Sunday was a beautiful day and I realized that it may be the last time I really see Frankfurt in sunlight. So I set out on my bicycle with the polaroid. I arrived at the waterfront and weaved my bicycle through the crowds and as an organgrinder worked his nostalgic charms you could hear a faint, mispronounced entschulchigung coming from the funny dressed American tourist.

Roo scores a triple
Saturday evening I met Annelle and Günter at the Sudbahnoff.

Uptown Boy meets Nordic Suite Goddess
Our stomachs beinf full of Japanese delight we set out on our journey for the holy grail of suites.

Japanese SchweinerSchnitzel
Saturday morning I met up with Stefan for a day of shopping and fun. But first we had to prepare ourselves for the long hunt. So we went to Mikuni on HasenGaße. Even though I would have killed for sushi something caught my eye as I looked over the menu. Mikuni had a deep fried pork fillet, or SchweinerSchnitzel! I had to try this rare merging of two cultures that I could only find while I am here. It had very deliscous sauces and the service was incredible, even taking a photo of us enjoying our meal.

This is Good
The beauty of life cannot be captured like a butterfly when your tongue like a net — using a third language just beginning to be learned — is so full of holes. Friday night a coworker named Michel and I rode.

Just a few words
After a stressful day of post-hangover grogginess and nightmare PMS-ness I thought it would be nice to hang out, get a bite and go to the Kino. So before the movie I went to a haunt in my neighborhood called Bei Benny und Franky. I love the name because it feels more Hoboken than Frankfurt. I was feeling very tense going out on my own and when I get tense my voice deamplifies and my mouth does not open to annunciate words. So after barely getting out my order the guy on the barstool next to me made a joke with me about my German but I couldn't understand it.

After enoying my bratwurst and beer I headed to Orfeos Erhben to catch a reel of shorts from Cannes film festival. Unfortunately when I walked in I got the "gypsy" girl and there was definite void between what I wanted and what they could offer. I couldn't figure out if the show was sold out, or rescheduled but I was definitely feeling very deflated as I was looking so forward to seeing these movies. What burned me was that people were being so nice to me but I couldn't communicate with them.

I was still in such a bad mood from the previous night that I set out on my bicycle in such a sour mood. I got to the waterfront, looked upon the incredible skyline, and I still felt so bad. So after a couple unsuccessful snaps I left Bridget a message on her cell phone in tears. I am such a baby...

I kept riding and riding, taking another bad photo and finally after about an hour I discovering new things on the south shore of Sachenhausen I began to feel better and I rode back across the river to Romerburg where I finally got this sweet snap at the Schirn. End it on a high note!

Male PMS Nightmare
Perhaps it was the .... or the four large Newcastles I drank, I had very vivid nightmare that night. I got on a plane to go to Geneva but instead my mind lead me to a flight for the US. My clients were on the plane and I think we had a meeting for a minute. So I get home but it is not my home. Everyone is there but instead our house has turned into a scummy Seventies mod apartment building and the complete interior was decorated like a genericized faux European bed and breakfast with ugly Fourties era patterns and doilies. And LPK begins yelling at me for coming home two weeks early.

I was so emotional when I awoke and I was very homesick. I was also almost late for work! That didn't stop me from crying as I thought about how I do love this new second home and how my country leveled it sixty years before.

It was very embarrassing the I was still crying as Petra came into the office and I giggled a little bit through choked back tears that I was okay.

Eine kleine NachtLeben
Wednesday night Stefan and I went out to skellar bar called the "12 Apostle" where they make their own beer.

Die Bicycle
Today Stefan and I went out and bought a bicycle. It was way out in the generic Suburbs and it took us forever to get there.

I saw a Magpie
Stefan and I were sitting at our desk when this bird with back and white wings flew by. It's pretty cool to see my team's mascot kicking in the city, a long way from the Tyne army.