New goodness! I still owe you five.

Louise Fili!
Rockin’ stuff. Such a sophisticated use of type… it makes me happy in so many ways. *le daydreamy sigh*
There’s an antiquated made elegant modern feel to all the work here. There’s a great concentration on cleanly designed packaging and an emphasis on food-related things (wine labels, restaurant related collateral, etc.). Check her out, please. Spread good design. Life is busy lately, and I promise I will get you more goodness to review.

I recommend: the Metro Grill Menu, Typology, Un Sedicesimo (oh my goodness, let the drooling commence) and just about anything else. Enjoy.

Also, just for kicks.

Apologies.

I’ve been MIA lately, due to battling the massive creative block that I’ve been having. The proverbial volcano is sputtering and on the verge of explosion! Mini bursts have been coming through, and I’ve been rolling with it, taking all of the creative bursts that I can get. Sewing and designing purses and accessories have been on the forefront lately, as well as getting back into my graphic design on a personal scale, through a project for a lovely bunch of friends. I’ve just been immersing myself where ever I can, and pushing myself to do better everywhere. It just feels good to do good, you know?

As for Artist of the Month, I think I owe at least six, to make up with interest. To begin:

Gunter Rambow (per Gregory’s request)
I studied him in school, and Gregory loved his work (on one of our at home biblioexpeditions, he came across Rambow’s work in a textbook of mine; I think I may have even seen hearts flutter over his head at that same time). Yay for German type graphic designy stuff.
The images that started the love affair

I promise that I’ll get you 5 more after the freelance project I’m working on now. It’ll give me a good refreshing break while I proceed with rebranding myself.

Blocks.

Goodness gracious, I’m a busy lady. For those that know me, you know I’m into a lot of crafty things (printmaking, sewing, graphic design, etc.). So, hopefully in the next few months, you will see a post up for not only my new website that I am building (this is the top priority right now; lots of study going on right now, as I want to be able to do it well enough to get paid for it), but also, I plan on getting my sewing off the ground as well (I would like to be able to get paid for that crafty business. I have lots of ideas going on about it and plan on honing my skill.). Not only fabricky fibrous wonderments will be explored. Among the crafty things I will be attempting are: new recipes and culinary delights (as my coworkers and family tell me that I should start making sweet stuff on the side for payment as well); new clothing, accessory, and home decoration projects being produced in multiples for sale (fun pillows that would be way too cute to fight with and many more fantastic stitchy creations); assistance with historic art direction on a film (I am so excited to get to finally work with one of my closest friends on a creative project!); community theatre (!?! don’t worry, it’s already been considered and isn’t a possibility at all until the film project is completed, the website is completed, and I get some sewing out of the way; rehearsal time would just take up too much time). That’s just the start. I’m getting way ahead of myself, I know, but at least I have plans for the next year (and then some). I love doing all of this stuff, so look forward to more craftiness coming from my corner of the world. *feels like the little kid that doesn’t have enough time to push all of the buttons in the toy store*

More links, updates, and fun artists to come. <3

The pen IS mightier than the sword.

This illustrator/typographer/designer (seblester.co.uk) has won this week’s artist of the week. I found him late last week actually. I’m sneaky like that. He just has beautiful curves flowing through his type. Some of his prints are even for sale at various places, and he offers all of that information on his website. I really love his posters. These are much needed for my apartment (My birthday is in June, but presents aren’t just for birthdays, you know. ) The one called “Mmm… Sexy Type” needs to be in my bedroom, as it matches my decor there. The organic curves are like a graphic designer’s dorky burlesque inanimate heaven… or something. Type is hot, mighty, and beautiful, and he proves it. Love, love, LOVE his creative brain making the gorgeous letterforms. Lester’s Soho Ultra-Extended in all caps is brawny and handsome. With all that praise given, kudos to you dearie! Keep up the beautiful drool-worthy work.

Those crazy Canadians…

I love this website, featuring the design of  Justin Broadbent. This design is so beautiful it makes my heart sing. I love the crunchy harmony going on. There’s sketchiness and beautiful things. I really love the texture of his design. He has a lot of content displayed to judge his design prowess, and I kind of feel like he could cut it back a bit and still showcase his best work, but his work is so yummy that I forgive him. Broadbent’s site is somewhat Flash heavy it seems, but I like the way he plays with type, and the rollovers for his navigation are nice. The backwards grunge really works for me. The way his photography and other external sites are set up kind of strangely, but I like the way his mind plays out the layout, yo.

P.S. I like how his contact information loads on the screen.

Website Building Explorations

The pressure is on, even heavier and hotter than it was before. I must have a respectable portfolio website.

I may need some assistance with this, and any volunteered knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

I just feel so stuck with getting my website off the ground, and have felt that way for over 2 years now. I’m sort of going back to the drawing board, and I’ve begun teaching myself Flash and Actionscript, but I think I might be able to hammer something basic out in HTML in the meantime. Both areas are a struggle for me, as I’m an artist, not necessarily a coder. I need some hands-on instruction with it (that I didn’t get so much of in college).

I know it’s something I can’t learn overnight, but there’s something about it that just doesn’t click with me. I’m used to being able to figure things out on my own, but I can’t develop the devices to decipher how to design with the web (but I can be alliterative all day long). Hours could be spent on lamenting the older ways of doing things, but I must give up my old school desires in this case, and exhibit my artistic passions in a new vehicle.

I’ve looked into GoDaddy.com for their hosting and domain purchase. I have also downloaded an FTP program to assist in uploading my site once it is completed. I’m building in Flash right now, just to put myself through the training of it all, but I’m wondering if I should go the easier route and do a basic HTML site first, then upload a Flash site? This would be purely to get my work out there and noticed for freelance. I need to know these things before I purchase a domain, hosting, and the whole bit.

• Nugget of craftiness that I have found that relates to this:
W3 Schools Online Web Tutorials
Hopefully, this site will help me with building through tutorials and whatnot. I just need the right person/thing to put it (HTML/Flash/Actionscript) into context for me to understand it.

I know I can’t pay for this advice, but if you’re willing to help a friend out, she would greatly appreciate it… maybe bake you yummy sweet things in return, along with eternal gratitude?

This whole “creativity in action” thing…

I am hoping that this will fuel the whole action part. 

Being very new to this whole thing, any help where you see floundering about would be greatly appreciated.

So, in this pursuit of “eclectic creativity in action,” I will post (hopefully) at least one new crafty thing a day, and what I think about it, and welcome any comments related to the post.

Posts will be restricted to an artistic, literary, crafty nature. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to: Art, Art History, Historic Preservation, Typography, Letterpress, Sewing, Painting, Collage, (Creativity and Artistry in) Baking/Cooking, Screenprinting, Photography, Vinyl (Records, in case your wondering), Music, Cinema (Television, Independent Film, Animation, and/or Major Motion Picture).

So, if you know me, and you see something here you like, or don’t like for that matter, let me hear about it. Also, feel free to let me know about things you think I would be interested in.

Lesley Dill – Artist of the Week

So, I just came up with this idea. Once a week, probably on Mondays, I will provide someone that I think kicks major creative rump.

This week, I went to the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Lesley Dill has a temporary exhibit there. She uses type in her artwork, and I do love typography dearly, along with fibers, poetry, and photography.  Primarily, this exhibit showcases some of her work that incorporates Emily Dickinson’s poetry. I just thought the use of delicate fibers with the poetry gave the words more of an emotional punch. That, and seeing type in artwork just makes me so happy I could dance. I don’t know everything there is to know about her, but what I saw there makes me want to explore more. Below are a couple of links, but check her out.

George Adams Gallery – Lesley Dill

Paper in Flight – Twenty Years of Hand Papermaking