A Plethora of Randomness

You, one of my 6 readers, are in for a special treat - a real blog post. OK, maybe not completely “real”, as it’s more of a conglomeration of random news and thoughts. Hopefully that will subdue your blog needs till I get you a more cohesive post. I’ve been very busy and very happy - a good thing.

Two Fish on Veerle’s Blog
Almost two and a half years ago I stumbled upon Veerle’s Blog and was wowed by by the CSS work and content. It inspired me to build this edition of the site, learning a chunk of my CCS/HTML knowledge on the way. It was a couple of months ago when I got an e-mail from Veerle asking if she could interview me and show some of my work on her site. I jumped at the chance. You can read the interview here and see my sixth place entry into her “What is Graphic Design” contest here. One of the sixth place prizes was a book on web design, bringing this whole story full circle. In short, thanks Veerle!

Project Spotlight
I’ve been designing the Summer Camp brochure for Casowaso and Aldersgate for the last six years and it’s a wonderful challenge. I wrote about last years offering here. This year (like the last) the client wanted to tie the design into the 2008 curriculum theme. This years theme was “Fragile”, so the design needed to play off of that somehow. Not as simple as the Hero theme last summer, right? The look and design is kind of a “teenage kid sending a package to a good friend” theme - utilizing cardboard, stickers, duct tape and hand drawn scribbles. I think that it speaks to the relationships and fun of camp, two key concepts in the success the client has had over the past 60+ years. I also built a site that mirrors the print work and integrated it into Expression Engine.

The Behance Network
I, like many was weary of signing up for yet another “social network” type site. Behance Network changed my mind. The network is built upon great work, like-minded creatives and collaboration. What I love is that much of the work is pushing design trends and highlighting really talented folks. The star of the show is not “being social” - it’s the work and the people behind the work. The sign-up process is not automated as far as I can tell and that may help keep the content top-quality. They showcase the best of the best and that can be a great spot to get inspired. I can’t say enough. My projects will be growing very soon…

Mission Accomplished
On a personal note, my lovely wife and I just got back from a mission trip in Guatemala. It was my second trip and just like the first, life-changing. Working alongside people you respect and love, while being outside of your comfort zone is really refreshing. My wife and I were in awe of the landscape, God’s provision and the absolutely insane driving conditions. There are literally no straight roads in the entire country, not to mention the rapid changes in altitude.

In thinking through the experience a song came to mind. The lyrics of “Just Like You” talk about how it’s just like Him to take make beauty from ashes. My way of speaking to this through illustration is this sketchbook entry. In honor of our trip, I’ve included this desktop for your lovely computer (1680x1050). Enjoy...

This is where I ramble on and you tell me about it below. Ok, I actually hope to do more than ramble, but the jury is still out.