Graphic Design? Put it Online!

Well, I finally did it. Over thunk it. Hemmed and hawed about it. Planned and re-planned it. And then sat down and actually made it.... My online Graphic Design Portfolio! As you may have seen me talk about on my blog, it's time to get back into the "real world" and get a job. Running my own mixed media art business was an amazing experience, but with the economy still in recovery... I'm all about the stability of full-time work.

Before I had my own business, I was the Art Director at a craft company for 6 years... so it's been about 9 years since I've looked for work in the Graphic Design field. And boy have things changed! Employers won't even look at your resume unless you have samples of your work to review online. It took me about two months to gather samples, scan and photograph them, and decide how I wanted to present them. In the end, I set it up very much like the personal art gallery section of my website, creating categories for the different types of designs I've created over the years. So take a look at my Graphic Design Portfolio to see what I make when I'm not making art... and let me know what you think!

Oh... and P.S. if you know anyone that needs any work done... I am for hire!

Fast Food Frenzy!

I love fast food. I love coffee and donuts and cookies and chicken fingers and french fries and all kinds of yummy quick bites. Recently, I loved it so much, I created a bit of an imbalance in my gut... which forced me to make some temporary dietary changes to mend my little belly. But before doing so, I went on an all-out-fast-food-binge of ages. Like an alcoholic knowing they had to go into rehab, I devoured everything I could and enjoyed every single second of it. Okay, so maybe my McRib Sandwich came with a side of guilt, but it was still delicious!

As I ordered each of my offending foods, I couldn't help but notice the brightly colored graphics, supple paper bags and interesting text on some of the containers. So I started collecting them. They ended up in a mixed media collage and I have to say that it was worth every morsel!

The Starbucks Siren in the corner ended up as the inspiration for my girl's coffee cup... kind of like she's making an offering to the sinfully sweet mermaid of caffeine!

This adorably swirly sugar packet I've had in my arsenal for quite some time. It fit in with the green theme that was popping up in my piece... so I was happy to finally paste it onto a collage.

This sticker was actually from a package of chicken breasts — something a little more healthy as I began to change my diet — and it intrigued me and grossed me out all at once! Chicken. All Natural? Well, I certainly hope so!

The best part about the piece is that I didn't really plan for it to be a fast food collage per se, but that's how it ended up. A yellowy-blueish-pinky-beige theme evolved and it's one of my favorite so far. I look forward to using more fast food ephemera in future collages. As well as being able to eat more of it in the near future!

Valentines: Painting My Little Heart Out!

It's funny that hearts seem to keep blooming in my artwork. Perhaps there is a little love in the air this February? Love of painting that is! I've had such a wonderful time taking Mindy Lacefield's True Free Spirit online workshop and the February project was such a blast!

Quirky Girl Collage was the theme and torn up magazine pages were the basis of this mixed media exercise.

Cute little elements added a whimsical touch, like the bunny. I tried to make him look like a little ragamuffin of a stuffed toy. Kind of floppy and cute.

Her head turned out... well... a little more gigantic than I realized (until I was finished!). But I did mention the theme was "quirky" right?

I really enjoyed the process of creating this mixed media collage... (click here for a short video)... it was fun and relaxing! Something I love about making this kind of art. Art from the heart should be fun.

On Safari... A Ticket To Adventure...

You know, sometimes my life isn't about making art... it's about making graphic art! Yes, my actual background is in Graphic Design and although I don't talk about it much... it definitely has had a tremendous impact on my art.

Recently, I designed this logo for Art & Soul Mixed Media Art Retreats, showcasing their 2013 theme of "On Safari". The challenge arose when I was asked to create tickets for each class that will take place at the retreat. I wanted to utilize the animals and other elements from the original logo... but how? Well, in this digital age it takes only seconds to Google the words "jungle + safari" and get fodder for all kinds of ideas! Gone are the days of scouring hoarded copies of Print and Design magazines for just the right "look". Ahhhh, technology.

So I took my ideas and created a look-book on Pinterest and then tried a few for myself. The silhouettes of the animals had the best effect and a sunset-style graduated background color topped it off quite nicely. I love using elements as text and so I borrowed the Acadia Tree to use as the "I" in SAFARI. I created 4 different tickets with each of the animals I used in the original logo to create diversity and collectibility.

I just love a good theme and I'm very happy with the way these tickets turned out. Playing around with graphics is always an adventure for me. What can I say... sometimes work is fun!