As an artist / designer, textures fascinate me – they are a visual delight – a stimulating playground for the eyes, which, in turn, stimulates creativity and spawns new design elements in my work.
Sometimes I love to simply take photos concentrating on visual textures.
Brought to you from Longwood Gardens, PA.
What does an artist do when she blows 2 tires on her new car and her sister and family, Sunday soup in hand, come riding to the rescue in their clunkety van? She draws a thank you!
Note: Coup Fourre is a reference to a rescue card in the game of Mille Bornes, which the kids insisted would have helped me a lot. I told them that they were my coup fourre.
Their unabashed joy in the whole situation made it not so bad. A month later, their poor van gave up the ghost itself, but it was useful for several family rescues over the years.
Note: It has only been recently that I learned to illustrate. Much thanks to a class I took during my graphic design degree. Thank you, Jacob!
A recent foray to the zoo convinced me that the most difficult photography subjects there are the flamingos! Beautiful in their purposeful movements, yet oddly difficult to focus on. This is my year of getting back into my photography and learning the ins and outs of my digital DSLR. Fun stuff!
Every year for the past 13 I have created a family calendar. It is a 13 month calendar since I normally do not finish it until January – that would be because of all the Christmas orders and the busy holiday season. This year was a bit different in that I received a stack of ornament orders at the end of December, but I somehow managed to complete my calendar before the end of the month! Yay!
I kept it simple this year:
When you have a friend get hit by, then run over by, a box truck while wearing a red coat that she says makes her look like a red tomato, you really can’t find a card for that. So make one!
Thankfully, while recouperating has been painful, she only broke a toe and will be fine.
I love this tiny book that belonged to my mother – probably from the 1940s.
Years ago I met an amazing woman who was to become a close friend and confidant. She was a regional director for an international IT consulting firm. Her career accomplishments were impressive (the drop jaw type of thing), so you might be able to imagine my astonishment when I first saw this laptop toting, international project manager extraordinaire, during a weekend visit, whip out her cross stitch needlework and cozy up by the fire. I guess I thought that was a “country” thing. I came to discover it is actually a family thing. Laptops, smartphones and leather briefcases can’t stop that.
Her mother’s vintage needlework…
Her own cross stitch pieces tend to be large and detailed…
And her daughter has also picked up the love.
I enjoy seeing women pass down their joy of needlework from generation to generation. Some of my own nieces are showing an interest, and I find that exciting.
Looking forward to spending quality time with a new book! With the process of many of the world’s best graphic artists featured, this is a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration.
Infographic Designer’s Sketchbook – Heller and Landers
Our boss bought an old restaurant across the pond from our rented office this year. He then renovated it into a state-of-the-art IT facility with all sorts of amenities, not the least of which is a huge back deck that will be in much use next summer, I am sure.
We moved in Thanksgiving week. This view is looking from the old office across the pond to the back (and deck) of the new place.
I love giving these types of gifts (that capture an important moment in someone’s life) more than any other. It is probably why I have continued doing this for over 30 years.
Sometimes simple is not as simple as it looks.
Flexing My Wings 