Finally, after years of coveting these prints, I can finally relax because I have purchased a screen printed Keep Calm and Carry On poster of my very own. This morning while walking past Hoopers, I just happened to look up at their window display and noticed the posters in the background. They still have black, red and perhaps even a yellow one left. Sorry friends, I bought the last mint green one.
I’ve been working up to this post for some time now. As an avid (or maybe rabid) Olympics supporter and a general sports enthusiast, I’ve been exceptionally proud of the way Canada has embraced these Olympics and the way our athletes have performed under pressure. I’ve been even more impressed, however, with the way Vancouver has branded itself for these games. Perhaps our success over the past two days (3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze) has put a little extra glow in my heart, but I can’t help but tip my hat to those responsible for executing the vision for these Winter Games. At first I was only moderately excited at the Vancouver 2010 brand. I perceived it’s vector illustration style as less-than-original. Seeing it’s full execution, however, I’m extremely appreciative of the attention to detail. Look no further than the green-and-blue coloured houses of the curling rinks, Canada Hockey Place with it’s green and blue painted stairs, or the halfpipe’s green and blue markings. The placement of the cameras has been addressed with extreme attention to detail as well. The gates of the downhill events have been carefully planned for impact with the home audience, likewise with the Bobsled track placement of “Vancouver 2010″ on prominent turns and Canada Hockey Place displaying the Olympic rings on top of the net for the camera to broadcast to the public. On top of this, I’ve found the typography to be excellent as well. The type chosen has been clean and clear, with one of the best examples being the numbers on Speed Skater’s helmets. Here are a few examples of branding done well, courtesy of Boston.com.
We’ve had this little book in our library for some time now. Callum recently took a journey to Scotland, and he brought back with him a pirate’s bounty – in book form. Somehow a few of these books got lost in the shuffle, and it wasn’t until I needed some creative energy this past Tuesday that I discovered “It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be”. The aforementioned book, written by Paul Arden, is an anecdotal look at creative processes. Many of these anecdotes may be obvious, however they are often overlooked in everyday life. I found the book to be the shot in the arm I needed to continue creating and be inspired to do so. I recommend reading the book, as it serves as a reminder that altering your perspective can keep us fresh and help us to continue to progress as individuals.
I need it, I want it, I have to have it! There is no doubt that Jessica Hische has created some beautiful work, but her limited edition Letterpress Drop Cap print might be my favourite so far. If I wasn’t saving every spare penny for my friend’s wedding in Hawaii, I would be ordering her limited edition print this second. This has definitely made my wish list and I’m crossing my fingers that there will still be one left for me to buy in April. (Photos courtesy of Jessica’s website.)
Simon Page is a phenomenally talented designer from the UK with a knack for geometric design. A few months back I posted a link to his 2009 Astronomy Series. This morning I received a link from good friend (and link provider) Shelly McGown in Toronto to his Flickr set “Futurism: An Odyssey in Continuity”. I am once again extremely excited about his new work, and inspired to get those goache paints out of the closet and get back to the drawing board.
Cool, simple sketch-book-like blog for type lovers. Or friends.
I came across the work of Mikey Burton earlier today. What I like about him is that his design is well-crafted and conceptual. Also, I’m a huge sucker for an attractive gig poster.
I’ve recently been suffering from writer’s blog. Call it the post-holiday blues. Today, however, with our server down and a little free time to surf the interweb, I discovered some inspiration to light a fire under my arse. A new weekly feature at Grafik Magazine will see Jon Dowling of Counter-Print list fifty essential books that any self-respecting graphic designer should own. I’m always interested to see what other designers read, and in 2010 I’d like to expand my horizons in terms of breadth of material read. 50 books looks like a good place to start.
I will admit, I am not a huge reader. I’d like to be, but the reality is I am a bit out of practice. It took me about as long to read this book as it took Bill Bryson to actually complete his journey through the Appalachians. That being said, it was literally a “laugh out loud” journey, with Bill and his friend Stephen providing the comic antics. At the time they were plodding miserably through forests, over mountains and in icy streams, I’m sure they were not thinking “this is freakin’ funny”, but trust me, it had its moments of true hilarity. A highly recommended read.
There was talk in the office the other day about what inspires each of us (I was actually absent for this discussion but I was brought up to speed later). In consideration of this topic, this book came to mind. Even though there was more trials and tribulations in this story than there was jubilation, it made me want to throw on a pack and go hiking. As I thought about the idea of inspiration a little more, I realized it wasn’t so much this book that inspired me but the idea of doing something out of the norm (at least for me as I haven’t been hiking for several years). New experiences of almost any kind are inspirational to me, so this year - call this my new year’s resolution - I am going to make an attempt to try new things. Goodbye countless nights in front of the TV and hello to a new and exciting 2010!
Well, here we are, officially back with our nose to the grindstone(s). It was a great break, and we’re looking forward to the many exciting changes about to take place here at Neuhaus Design. We can’t let you into our inner circle just yet, but stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, check out this great book I received for Christmas! If you’re at all familiar with comic books then you’ll immediately recognize the name Jack Kirby. His most notable contributions to comic books include the co-creation of Captain America with Joe Simon in the 1940’s, the many Marvel co-creations with Stan Lee in the 1960’s including the Fantastic Four, X-Men, the Silver Surfer as well as his own universe, Jack Kirby’s Fourth World in the early 1970’s. The man absolutely defined the word prolific, as he was known as the fastest, most dynamic artist of his time (and any since). And even though I grew up on a whole different generation of artists such as Dan Jurgens and Graham Nolan, they all owe some part of their style and approach to Kirby. The book, written by Mark Evanier, contains the condensed biography of Jack Kirby and includes many, many illustrations spanning his career beginning in the 1940’s right through to his death in 1994. Pick it up, you won’t regret it.
