conquered

A new year begins on a crisp afternoon, when a knotty branch is no match for a brave little pup. 

A will and a soul conquers all.

the makings of me

Try to improvise, make without over-thinking, think about making, make something out of nothing. And, repeat. 

A constant busying of the fingers is substantially therapeutic, and sometimes beautiful things can happen through fortuitous encounters with paper scraps and office supplies. 

of christmas past

Christmas is a tiny tree within a globe, homemade matching pajamas, a younger self in a my-size apron, and showing off my mad MC skillz. 

Christmas past becomes the present, thanks to a new old turntable, and an ever-growing collection of classics. Though the days of life without care seem long past, the past seems closer than the present, or the future. It is the days of Christmas past that anchor the Christmas present, making me feel lucky for those who have been there through it all. Happy Merry Joyous Christmas to you, and yours. 

two lines align

Two Lines Align is the accompaniment to a recent exhibit curated by Michael Worthington at REDCAT gallery in Los Angeles, positioning the works of artists/designers Ed Fella and Geoff McFetridge side by side in order to spark conversations about the oft-blurred lines between art & design, "the shifts in the perceived cultural worth of [graphic design and art] over time...by placing Ed Fella and Geoff McFetridge's design careers end to end to make one chronological line, one lineage. While Fella's career reflects how graphic design has historically struggled to define itself in relationship to art, McFetridge follows a path wherein the integration of art and design is taken for granted."

A belated thank you to the MCAD library for ordering in this lovely and inspiring book for me. I miss it already...Check it.

seasons greetings

A few of my favorites from some holiday cards made for family and friends. 

I realized this morning how grateful I am for the wintry week, for the recent fireside chats with dear friends, for this overriding wave of nostalgia that uplifts the spirits and reminds me of the power of a simple Seasons Greetings, when kindness and selflessness, integrity and generosity have the power to conquer all. Sometimes the less we think about ourselves, the more our selves are fulfilled. Good things are to come, I hope. 

black cab in a black cab

Four minutes and twenty-two seconds of me, smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. Its embarassing!

These charming little Black Cab Sessions are worth checking out, and I must say quite the perfect way to while away a dreary day. The simplicity of harmony and poetry never ceases to amaze me––how wonderful it is that a voice, a beat, a chorus can transform space, capture time, and reawaken bottled emotions. Music feeds the soul. 

lekman landscapes

Dear Jens Lekman, So I created some strange little dioramas and turned them into record (LP) package designs for your three albums. I am unsure how I feel about them, and unsure about the difference between good and bad right now. Perhaps I need to let them be for awhile. Perhaps I need sleep. The center one–Oh, You're So Silent Jens–is my favorite, based off of the original album cover art. The other two I am still unsure. But I hope at the very least they do not insult. 

paths crossed

...and for the smallest of moments girl and dog and rabbit were the only three beings out there in the world, dancing on tip-toes through the freshly fallen snow. 

optical illusions

It deosn't mttar in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat lteer be at the rghit pclae. 

The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. 

Thank you spell check. 

progress

I have begun to have these dreams again: My world becomes a grid, and undoing what I've done is simply a matter of command-z. Things are beginning to align, I hope. Stuff is getting stuffed.