I love this....

A busy week...

These past few weeks have been some of the busiest since thesis time in the spring. I'm up in the studio by 9 and out around 6:30 just to keep on top of everything. Some project I've worked on over the summer will be coming to fruition soon. I love that gap between completing a project and then seeing it in print or on the web, whichever format it was intended for. It's almost as if someone completely seperate from me created the work, and I'm seeing it for the first time. When I'm in the midst of a project it can be hard to step back and look at the work objectively, I am too acquainted with every minute detail. I'll be sure to keep you readers informed when my projects hit the streets.

An afternoon at Nike...

Last week I was invited out to Nike to participate in their Thirst Thursday employee party. Carolyn Davidson, the designer of the swoosh was present as the guest of honor. Because she was a Portland State design student when she developed Nike's legendary mark, the organizers thought it would be fitting to bring out some local designers and artists to customize some Nike bags. Mia Nolting, Ryan Bubnis and I were given the task of customizing white Nike iD messenger bags. The embellished bags would then be auctioned off to benefit the Children's Cancer Association. Armed with our tools of choice, we went to work customizing the bags in our respective styles. Mia worked in Sharpie, Ryan in acrylic paint and I had an assortment of paint pens. To prepare, I did some sketching in my book to get some ideas to reference in case I drew a blank on the spot.


It was a 101 degree afternoon, but I was fueled by RebBull and ready to go. I decided to wing it for my first bag, just flowing from the top of my head. The paint pens worked great on the bag material, which appeared to be a sturdy nylon. The Nike ID bag was a great canvas to draw on.


For my second bag I referenced some of the sketches I had prepared beforehand. I wanted to give my personal take on Nike culture, treating this one as almost a commissioned piece. I had a lot of fun with both of the bags. Working in the creative field, it's easy to take art for granted. Most people don't get to see art being made so it's a special treat to watch artists doing their thing. This is the second time that I've done art in a live setting, it's very exhilarating to get peoples' feedback on the spot. I really enjoy doing this and hope I'll get another chance to do something similar in the future.


After finishing two bags I took a walk around to see what my comrades had been up to:

Ryan Bubnis


Mia Nolting

We finished off the event with a joint collaboration bag:


The event was a great success. It was a lot of fun spending some time outside of the studio in the sun. We all got some great exposure within the Nike community. All of our bags were auctioned off. Along with the bags that were customized by Nike's in house designers, the auctions raised over $7000 dollars for the Children's Cancer Association. The three of us were all PNCA alums, so it was a great chance to represent alma matter. I'm very thankful for the opportunity and honored that my work was able to help such a great cause.

Beat the heat...

We're officially into the dog days of summer. It's been a hot one and I've spent most of it behind this computer screen. This heat makes it hard to keep at it, but I trudge on. It's a battle just figuring out what to type here. Tomorrow is looking even hotter. I've been invited out to Nike HQ to do some live art for their monthly Thirst Thursday employee party. I don't have a whole lot of details at this point, but I will most definitely write a follow up post on this. I'm really stoked to get some exposure over at Nike.





My seventeen year-old sister Madeline just recently completed a pre-college course in design at PNCA. The work from the high schoolers this year is some of the best I've seen from the age group. I'm gonna have to start watching my back 'cuz the kids are coming up. My sister has quite a talent for graphic design, especially hand lettering. The pre-college course culminated in a First Thursday show in the commons. Madeline produced a 3D illustration with little electric lights behind the windows. I told her to keep posting stuff, she could be freelancing before she graduates high school. I'm really stoked to watch her progress. Her Flickr photostream is linked below, add her and watch her grow. The show is up through the month of August and definitely a must see. This is the new school, so watch out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28807584@N08/

Process: The 511 Building

As a rule, I never talk about my commissioned projects before they're published. This is primarily to respect the privacy of the client, but also I don't want to jinx the outcome of the project in any way. Yes, I tend to have a superstitious mind.

That being said, yesterday I found that an illustration I had done in june for PNCA has just been published in the summer edition of their quarterly newsletter. The commission was for a rendering of the Federal Building, or 511 Building as it is now called. The turn of the century building currently houses the PDX outpost of the Dept. of Homeland Security, but in a few years time it will be the new home of the Pacific Northwest College of Art.



The hardest part of this illustration was determining the widths of the windows as they receded into the distance. I used standard 2-point perspective the determine the angles of the roof. I wanted the perspective to be accurate, but I also wanted the illustration to have a certain impressionistic quality. To achieve this I used nib pen and brush for most of the ink work, relying on my microns only to touch up certain areas. I put a lot of work into this piece and I'm stoked to finally see it in print. It's crazy to see my illustration over the words "$32 million." If you'd like a copy of the PNCA newsletter, they're available at the front desk of the school, located on NW 13th and Johnson.

A visit to the archives...

I found this piece in the depths of my iPhoto. It looks to be part of the original portfolio I submitted for admission into PNCA over three years ago. I can see a lot of little mistakes, but my general sensibility has carried through. It's strange to look back on work you've completed years ago. It happens often with me, I'll stumble upon some project or file that I haven't seen in ages. It's a good way to chart your progress navigating this landscape of a creative industry.

Obsession...