Stream-of-Consciousness Saturday

Snicker-doodles and  Doctor Who Tardis cookie jar

Welcome to my first Stream-of-consciousness-Saturday post.  You know.  It's that bit of research for a project you have swirling in your mind.  That special pattern.  Those inspiring artists or art works to get your creative juices flowing. Or recipe searches - to use what you have available and because you are just so tired of the same old thing - again - which lead you to so many great recipes that you completely miss dinner. Intending to help you, a stream like this just keeps you in front of your computer until your Saturday is gone.

It's that kind of stream.  Blog-hopping at it's best.  Webby deliciousness that keeps you leaping from one link to another.  My newest assistant to blog-hopping  is Pinterest.  Oh yes.  Pinterest.  It is such an enabler of we procrastinating sorts.  But what a beautiful enabler it is!

So for all you Searchers out there -

Me - Always Searching for Something New!

 Stream-of-Consciousness-Saturday list:

1. Listening to Pandora  I have a station I call "Gracie Radio"  after the Ben Folds Five song.  Here's a YouTube version for you visual types.

2. Pinterest   Deleted account due to user policies.


3. Thought I would make this for dinner, but I suppose it will now be on tomorrow's menu. 

4. I have everything to make these! 

5. Explored several links from Shutterbean's blog.  Got my idea for a Saturday list from her Love List Friday posts.

6. 50 things to stop doing.  It's been one of those weeks that make you feel tired of everything.  It's one of those weeks that make you want to redefine your life.  Why do co-workers and bosses affect us so much?  Making mental note to create something positive to counteract times like these.

7.  Several ventures into the world of commerce.  Intriguing items that one covets, but feels like they just might NEED them.

• Cuppow  Being an artist and jar saver, I found this interesting.  Too bad I own several BPA free drinking vessels or this would be mine. 
• Haan Steam Mop.  I've been thinking about one of these since WeeGran will be wanting to crawl around here soon.
• Because I'm a Geek!
• Looking for cool Who stuff   (As you can see from photo above, I already own the Tardis Cookie jar)
• Checking out the Rody Horse for WeeGran
• And of course - Amazon.

8.  Crafty blogs from my Google Reader -

• Elise Blaha
• Neatorama
• DaniDraws  Which reminds me of comics I've done in the past about my life.  I will post those after I dig them out and scan.

Typography

Upside Down, Left To Right: A Letterpress Film from Danny Cooke on Vimeo.

Type is beautiful.  Typography is how we communicate non-verbally. Type can communicate without saying a word.  Just one big fancy serifed letter or one big sturdy sans-serifed letter can inform the viewer before the story begins.

It is also the lesson that garners the most groans in a high school design class.  Why?  Good question.  But it may have something to do with software and exposure to font selection before they truly understand the power that each character possesses.  The slow art of choosing just the right style for the perfect mood. 

The students cannot seem to understand the fact that typography should reflect, or support, the message and not the typist's (or typesetter's) personal choice.  Breaking students from poor font selection is much harder than you would think. But we teachers of design continue our efforts.  Maybe one day the world will be filled with beautifully constructed messages and information graphics.

The above video is a wonderful tribute to letterpress and type.

While I didn't major in printmaking or letterpress at college, I did attend school at the same time as Kevin Bradley of Yee-Haw Industries.  (I didn't have classes with Kevin, but was in the printmaking lab a lot at the same time. I was on the opposite end of the studio creating handmade paper and books)  This is our very own homegrown letterpress art studio with a national (and maybe even international) client list. Kevin and his partner, Julie Belcher, are keeping the beauty of hand-pulled type alive and thriving.  Check out their site and their Etsy shop.  If you're in Knoxville, be sure to stop by their downtown studio.

 

from Yee-Haw Industries

If you want to learn more about typography there are a great many sites out there.  I Love Typography offers lots of articles and other links to feed your appe-type (sorry couldn't resist). We Love Typography has a host of many contributors.

The following video is from the Vancouver Film School.  It is a nice lesson on typography.

Kinetic type.  Take a look at this video of kinetic type. 

Conan O'Brien Kinetic Typography from Jacob Gilbreath on Vimeo.

Well, that's it for typography today.  There is lots of information out there.  Explore it.  Embrace the beauty of letter-forms.   I will be teaching typography in the upcoming weeks to my classes.   Hopefully, I will inspire them to make good decisions - type-wise at least.

Gearing Up for a New Semester

I'm sharing this slideshow, from SlideShare,  for all educators who use presentations for lectures.   Good design is imperative in information sharing. I plan to use this as part of my lecture series on designing for my advanced classes.  Thanks to Chiara Ojeda for sharing her work.Tweak Your Slides: Ten Design Principles for Educators (version 3.0)

View more presentations from Chiara Ojeda

Happy Holidays

A Holiday card for you!

Over coffee this morning I decided to create a Holiday card.  Hubby strolled in my studio and asked me, 

"Where did a blue-beaked penguin come from?"

"I don't know, he just appeared."

"See, that's the difference in you and me.  Ask me to create a card and you'll get Santa and reindeer.  You. You come up with this."  he laughed.

Penguins are endearing.  Penguins wishing to be a part of Santa's team, well...  I was just in that kind of mood I guess.  You had to be there.  

I hope that you and yours have a very Happy Holiday. 

 

Love, Laugh, Share, Be Kind, & Enjoy! 

Wish I could show this to my students. A great movie short using logo designs that I discovered on David Airey's website

Two of My Truest Loves

My loves!

I didn't take this photo. The credit belongs to the contracted photographer at the hospital. It is a beautiful photo. Every time I look at it I remember the little boy who I used to cuddle and hug this way. If WeeGran is as delightful as her daddy was when he was a baby, well, we are truly going to be very blessed. I'm sure she'll will be, just look at her expression here! She is only a day old here.

I'm already blessed to be the mother of such wonderful sons. I am constantly amazed and sometimes startled by all their intelligence, their compassion, and their talents. Everything else can fall apart as long as I know they are healthy, happy, and thriving. Their happiness and joy is what has always driven me. Still drives me.

And now I have this wee little girl to watch grow-up. My happiness and joy are refilled every day, every minute, I see her, hold her, and think of her. I know all grandparents are well aware of that feeling as you wait for the news - "They're here!" Holding her brings back the flood of emotion I felt when I first held her daddy. Soft as velvet and exquisitely beautiful. Her features are so tiny, but-oh-so perfect.

Lucky little girl for having such wonderful parents. For I not only have a wonderful son, but he found a perfect wife to share his life and to bring more gratitude into my and hubby's life. We continue to be astounded at our blessings. Thank you both for creating such a beautiful little one to share with us.

Daddy, Mommy & Baby

WeeGran we are so happy to welcome you to the world. We will promise to love, protect and nurture you to the best of our abilities.

GranMumsy with her newest love

Me, Drew (the new daddy) and the twins (days before their birth)

Sketchbook: Victoria's Paintings

Sketch: Goldilocks & the Three Bears - Sandi VanWinkle

 Goldi confronts the Bears, explaining her views on the comfortable bed

Sketch: Three Little Pigs - Sandi VanWinkle

 The Pigs begin their gathering and building in an effort to fend off the Big Bad Wolf

Sketch: Red Riding Hood - Sandi VanWinkle

 Red timidly begins her trek through the dark woods in order to deliver tasty goods to Granny

Sketch: Goldilocks & Bears - Sandi VanWinkle

 Closer view of Goldi, Mama, and Baby (angry baby)

Three Billy Goats Gruff Sketch - Sandi VanWinkle

Ogre yelling at Billy on the bridge.  One of my favorites as a child

Yesterday I finally had the time to sit and sketch.  It feels so good to be back at the drawing board.  These are a few of the concepts for paintings for my granddaughter's room.  As I worked, I found that I wanted to paint them all.  There is not enough wall space to do this, so, I think I will do a book for her with all the characters from Grimm to Celtic Faeries.  

On my easel right now is my version of Puss in Boots, which I will share with you later.  I don't have a good photo yet and it's too big to scan.  Most of the tales above will be on 12"x12" canvases.  I worked on two pencil versions of Red last night.  I have now decided to paint her on an 18"x24" canvas with the forest looming and darkly creepy all around her.  Maybe the silhouette of a wolf hidden amongst the understory of the forest.  If I can channel the detail and atmospheric quality of a Daniel Ridgway Knight painting and the delicious darkness of Arthur Rackham's watercolors, I may be able to pull off what I'm attempting. 

Cutting Roses - Daniel Ridgway Knight

Red Riding Hood - Arthur Rackham

More later as I progress through these works.  I'm also working on a comic book with a teaching colleague for release late summer.  I'll share bits of that project later also.