Unexpected Applications

Geese Doodle

2011-08-13T14:28:00.001-04:00

Playful color studies for some geese doodles.

Yellow Weave Doodle

2011-08-13T14:17:00.001-04:00

Playing with some weaving doodles I made a few weeks back. We totally have that rug in grass green shag!

New Layout Coming Soon--and Rive wraps

2011-08-01T07:50:00.002-04:00

So, I'm working to get my current design site, www.designbyzoe.com made into a more business-friendly format over the next month or two, probably something related to Wordpress. While that is going on, you can expect to see a similar-looking visual format change here on the blog too!

Also, here are some of the latest Rive designs!

Tree Branches with Teal Lanterns

Canary Pineapples of Goodwill

Wicked Twisted Grape Vines

Hippocampus art to be inlaid on guitar

2011-07-28T07:58:00.001-04:00

Here's the preliminary images, the final pics will be posted with credits when they are finished!

Original Art: Mine, the Merhorse design (hippocampus)

Resulting Art: Hippocampus mother of pearl inlay on black guitar headstock.

New Rive Damask Photo!

2011-07-26T23:21:00.000-04:00

This photo was just sent to me by Rive, my completed Damask design!

Observational Botanicals

2011-07-07T12:25:00.002-04:00

The new apartment is steps away from an amazing block of public gardens, children's parks, and dog parks, so I went out recently and did some quick observational inkings of the plant life.

BACK FROM HIATUS: Summer Designs

2011-07-05T18:04:00.008-04:00

So back to work. I've moved apartments into a beautiful area, but that meant sacrificing a decent amount of workspace, so it took a bit longer to open up the sketchbooks than expected...but it happened!

So the name of the game is blues and purples:

Narwhals are easily the strangest non-magical creatures out there, and I was thinking they would make a nice addition to the lure line for the fall/winter, so I have started inking some fun, chubby little 'whals.

A bigger narwhal, although he does look a little depressed. I might give him some bubbles or fish or something, as his shape seems to be calling for a spiraling pattern.

Whales, yeah, had to do one.

Sand dollars, by popular request. Realized that these are the creatures ideal for people who have a terrible time drawing perfect circles (me).

An Australian Spotted Jelly, inspired by some of the awesome critters in the New England Aquarium. They are insane looking, like a cross between a plastic glow-toy and a vegetable. I'll upload a pic.

CRABS. I know I had to do shells because we're in New England and people love their shells, but to make a design work for me, I have to add a quirk. Meet the hermits.

A more serious botanical doodle that I think will work its way onto my new line of vases. More to follow.

RISD Alumni Art Sale Next Weekend!

2011-04-24T20:00:00.003-04:00

NEWS!

I will be sharing table #37 with Bronwyn Lewis at the RISD Spring Alumni Art Sale next Saturday. I'll be selling the following:

Shark Coasters/Saucers: $25/set, $8/ea

Marlin Coasters/Saucers: $25/set, $8/ea

Kite Coasters/Saucers: $25/set, $8/ea

Nest Coasters/Saucers: $25/set, $8/ea

*new* Dinosaur Coasters/Saucers: $25/set, $8/ea

*new* Hedgehog Coasters/Saucers: $25/set, $8/ea

*new* 2 Types of Cat and Birdcage Necklaces: $18/ea

*new* Marlin Necklaces: $15/ea

*new* Antler Earrings: $18/ea

*new* Small and Large Typography Earrings: $12/pair of small, $18/ pair of large

Here's photos of the new saucer designs:

Planning on bringing 5-7 sets of each coaster design, plus a good handful for singles. There will be a good 25+ pair of the smaller typography earrings available, but most jewelry will be 5-10 pieces total, as they are an explorative run.

Come by and say hey!

New Rive Designs

2011-03-27T14:41:00.002-04:00

Been working on some new line art stylized work for Rive's awesome glass water vessels. Here's the latest and greatest:

Chicago Cityscape in lines

Gingko Leaves (Organized)

Gingko Leaves (Disorganized)

Gingko Leaves (Layered)

Past, Present, and Workspace

2011-03-13T18:40:00.002-04:00

Going through a lot of my old stuff today, as we'll be moving into a smaller place come June with less storage...

Some cool older business card designs for a freelance client, Diana Armbrust

More designs for a freelance client, Diana Armbrust

Shay takes over my workspace on a regular basis

the constant state of my "toolbox"

yay! new experimental clasps came in from Fire Mountain Gems! Silicone and stretchy!

Birdies

2011-03-13T17:37:00.001-04:00

Thinking of a lovebird or budgie design for my next coaster/saucer design. Here's some color keys...

Rive Citrus

2011-03-12T13:37:00.001-05:00

Something fun and springy with bursts of citrus color for Rive. Playing with varying palettes and application methods below.

Check out Rive!

2011-03-06T21:10:00.001-05:00

Hey so this is pretty cool! Check out www.RiveUSA.com and see what pops up! The first four designs are live now with their specs and awesome photos. See my bamboo and birdies in there? Pretty flippin' sweet...

new cameras!

2011-02-27T21:21:00.000-05:00

More vintage cameras for Rive, this time a different art style.

Personal Art: Laser Cut Prototypes

2011-02-26T17:02:00.001-05:00

Awesome white acrylic laser cut birdcages with and without kitties hanging from them. These are pretty big, so I'm debating calling this particular round 'ornaments' or not. No matter what, the future orders will be downscaled and made into pendents and earrings.

Cameras!

2011-02-21T22:54:00.002-05:00

I've been working on freelance and 38 Studios work all day, so I decided to have a little fun indy art time for myself as the evening draws to a close.

That is, until my pen died. :(

These might actually become a pattern for Rive if I ink them all and find about 5-8 more designs. Shouldn't be too difficult, as the world (and Etsy) is filled with awesome vintage cameras.

General Updates

2011-02-13T21:58:00.002-05:00

So, I will be selling specially packaged 4 saucer sets of the Marlin and the Shark design at the RISD Alumni Art Sale on April 30, 2011. The sale will be on a blocked off quarter of Benefit Street in Providence, RI from 9 am-5pm. Other products will include special Cats, Dogs, Dinosaurs, and Sea Life magnets, as well as special stationary maybe special fabric and jewelry designs, provided that these proofs go well.

I will be sharing a table with the always lovely Bronwyn Lewis: http://bronwynmaguirelewis.com/

Also coming up on May 14th is a Farm Tour at the Hillborne Farm in Princeton, MA. I will be selling art with the wonderful Chad Gowey: www.chadgowey.com

Expect more magnets, possibly some saucer sets (provided that the RISD sale does not deplete my stock), and maybe something else fun and crafty. For more details on this farm tour, feel free to e-mail me at info@designbyzoe.com

Boston Block Pattern

2011-02-12T19:22:00.000-05:00

I think I've gotta get these printed...

Etsy Store

2011-01-29T12:35:00.001-05:00

Just a small note that I've added copies of my 'POUND' book and several prints from the book to my etsy store here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignByZoe

Rive Design: Sexy Lace

2011-01-22T18:07:00.002-05:00

Ok, so...

I needed some good floral reference for a sexy fishnet/lace, so I might have scanned some stockings for better inspiration. Anyways, two palettes.

Charcoal and Silver

Chocolate and Gold

RIVE Prague Design and Lace Design

2011-01-21T11:57:00.003-05:00

Some more exciting variations designs for the awesome company Rive! I've got a new twist on Victorian Power Room with Lace and some finalized options for a Prague cityscape.

Victorian Lace w/ Lady's Cameo and black ribbon.

Victorian Lace w/ Two Ladies' Cameos

Final Prague Cityscape Design

Different Prague Cityscape Design (not the final but still fun).

New Rive designs: 2nd snow day 1 New Image

2011-01-18T15:21:00.003-05:00

So in a classic New England turn of events, today marks the second snow day in two weeks that I've had from my office job. Last snow day I was able to lock down a good design direction for my Prague design (I'll show it eventually), and get the Turkish Thistle design to a great testing phase. Today, I've got these, all for Rive.

'he LOVES me'

No 'nots' here! A VERY pink, very girly, very whimsical design with pinks and oranges. Top two blocks of color reflect silicone cap/boot color suggestions.

'nerd glasses'

Nerd is pretty 'in' right now, so I played with the idea of Star Trek/sci-fi silver (all gray=silver) plus a vintage 3-D glasses color palette. Most of the glasses are actually relatively modern or vintage-popular, so I tried mixing the red stripes with the silver bands to make a pseudo-plaid background pattern.

'nerd glasses--old gold'

Recent addition of ochre and gold.

'mix tape love'

I guess I've got a pretty romantic theme going on right now, as my boyfriend and I just celebrated our 5 year (dating) anniversary...well, here you go. A cute/vintage punky throwback to mix tapes and journal scribbles. Cap suggestions shown at the top (sparkly silver or watermelon pop).

Current Rive Design Doodles

2011-01-12T21:11:00.004-05:00

Was just given the green light from Rive to show some of my current workings for the super awesome chic glass water bottles. Part of my New Years' Resolution! Post more art!

This is actually a design that was finished November-December of 2010, but I LOVE it and Zebra finches are some of my favorite birds ever.

My current color edits--favoring the design on the right just a little more...I've NEVER liked cobalt and yellow/orange before, but it makes a lot of surprising SENSE in this design. Who knew?

The earlier color studies and experimentations.

So that's it for now--working on a bunch of other designs in tandem, but I'm exhausted and its a snow day so that's it for the day.

Mexico Blues

2011-01-10T21:13:00.002-05:00

The beginning of the Mexico photos in blue-scale. These were all taken on the island of Isla Mujeres in Mexico over the past week with my Canon Rebel Xti. Plenty of more photos to come.

Isla Blanca sign on the Gulf side of the Island.

Abstract shapes in paint on cement.

Blue door to Lolo's Bakery in the early morning.

Close-up shot of the door handles to Lolo's Bakery.

Abstract view of doorstep to Lolo's bakery.

Old fence posts on the Punta Sur end of the island on the Atlantic side.

Blue and Green homes across the street in the early morning.

A Brief Look at Mexico

2011-01-10T21:08:00.002-05:00

Proper artsy photos to be uploaded over the following days, but a fun touristy video snippit from my vacation...

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T12:23:00.002-05:00

Get ready for it... New Years Resolutions!

Obviously, its not New Years yet, but I thought I'd just put in this little update with some serious resolutions, just to keep the ball rolling:

Resolutions:

Update this blog at least twice a month, preferably once a week.
Expand my photography and include a whole photo dump portion of the blog AND my website.
Plan a photo-documentary trip for myself once every 2-3 months, to keep things interesting. Thus far I'd like to find my way onto a lobster fishing boat and a cranberry bogger field trip.
Post more doodles. Also, make more doodles.
Find TWO more storefront potential locations in other states for my coasters/saucers. I'm thinking Vermont and North Carolina.

ok, that's what I've got now. In other news...

Heading off to Mexico on January 1st with my family and boyfriend, so I'm also planning on creating some new tropical designs and photographs from the trip.
Might be featured in the RISD Alumni art magazine for my food-themed work with how2heroes and my personal plates/coasters.

Side Project: Decorative Cowhide Squares

2010-11-22T08:22:00.002-05:00

So my next shipment of ceramic coasters is starting the slow crawl of arriving to my office (I'm getting partials orders, as they are ready). So, while that is happening I started another random side project...

Cowhides are pretty much everywhere right now, used both tastefully and not. HGTV uses them as accent "rugs" on most staged modern rooms and houses, but you can also see horrific examples of kitsch gone horribly wrong online. I had eight of these beautiful knotted, rippled wood squares ready for random projects, so I'm varnishing them and affixing some cowhide samples to the backsides (or front? depends what you like) to see what happens.

I don't usually go for a hide or skin look, but the colors and the textures of the hides (found at Ikea for $3.99/ea) are really very beautiful and subtle in their colorings. If it looks cool, awesome. If not, well then project over...

Rive LLC design reveal

2010-11-09T13:13:00.002-05:00

Finally had the time to take some good photographs of the two awesome sample bottles that Rive LLC supplied me with. The following two designs are not absolutely final, as the designs will be altered and tweaked depending on the application method.

Above: Japanese Hybrid Design (Ocra + Eggplant) created using pen and ink, plus watercolor swatches for spot colors.

Above: Birds on branches design created using pen and ink and then vectorized in Adobe Illustrator.

Vintage Fabrics

2010-10-16T18:04:00.002-04:00

This and much more from my new favorite place (move over Ikea), Zimmons, located in Lynn, MA. Thousands of vintage and retro fabrics for upholstery and other projects. LOVE IT.

October is Adventure Month!

2010-10-06T13:18:00.004-04:00

Heading off to NYC for New York Comic Con on behalf of 38 Studios, where we will be located in booth #2257 to show off some really exciting new stuff from Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Visit the official Facebook page for our exciting updates and photos!

Bird's Nest

2010-10-03T17:16:00.002-04:00

Working on a potential design for Threadless.com...or to be made personally. I really like this bleeding off of a pillow, shirt, or a tote bag, on clean plain canvas, and with Threadless.com, that could be possible.

New pattern: "There Goes The Neighborhood"

2010-09-26T22:05:00.003-04:00

Friendly little screen grab of this humorous new pattern:

"There Goes The Neighborhood"

Still working on the detail stuff--maybe stylize the rabbits more? Undecided. Colors? I did a project back at RISD for an english/science glass on the genetically modified rabbit, Alba, who had her DNA spliced so that her fur glowed neon green under ultraviolet light. Wouldn't it be cute if these bunnies were all neon green, like little Alba decedents? Maybe?

Sample Wine Label Design

2010-09-25T15:21:00.002-04:00

Final design and sketch concept for a sample wine label design done for Heinrich Custom Detail (you can see a dolphin sample also from my Lure Line on their site). They've got this awesome new decal process that allows for rich, safe reds and pinks without the use of cadmium and they wanted to showcase the new process to winemakers.

I decided to use the warm pinks with the watercolor splash, then kept the amorphous vibe with the beta/siamese fighting fish motif. Sketch in top left, final design bottom left, final design applied via Photoshop right. We'll see if I can get some physical samples for documentation down the line.

Pralines: Graphic Explorations

2010-09-19T12:47:00.003-04:00

Working on a secondary logo for Pralines Bakery, specifically for their cupcake menu. Playing with cute, sweet, and slightly retro. Want to keep things simple with preferably 2 colors, 3 max. Pinks seem the most logical choice, but for clean modern, I'm throwing in some charcoal gray and secondary pinks where it fits.

Freelance Sketch

2010-09-18T22:35:00.001-04:00

A basic sketch for a potential wine label. Working with up to three sketch ideas, this is just my favorite thus far. Nothing's solid, I just like doing rocks and Ibex like that!

Photo Dump: Pralines Bakery

2010-09-18T20:35:00.004-04:00

A sampling of the food photos taken at Pralines Bakery, in Newburyport. I am considering selling prints, if the owner allows the idea. For the time being, there will be these files here, and the real thing there!

Pralines: Photo Shoot!

2010-09-13T19:11:00.002-04:00

Just back from an awesome day at Pralines Bakery in Newburyport! I had a major food photography withdrawal recently, so I really lucked out when I came across the amazing bakery a few weeks ago, while taking a mini vacation with my mom. Also, the payment?

Delicious!

(From top left to bottom right: Molten Lava cake, mini cookie sandwiches, pecan tart, lemon square, tart, classic cupcake, peanut butter cupcake, salted caramel cupcake.)

My lovely assistant/boyfriend.

Setting up a cupcake shot outside the bakery.

A montage of the bakery and our various settings and fabrics/plates. The finished photos will be shown soonish, depending on my download time and color corrections.

One quick awesome side note about Pralines: they might be on Cupcake Wars! They were asked to submit an audition video and are currently waiting on the good word!

End of Hiatus: New Art Posts

2010-09-12T12:49:00.003-04:00

So it was never announced, but I took a Hiatus. Now, I'm getting ready to do a huge shuffle on the website as well as here on the blog with new sketches, personal designs, and professional designs.

In the meantime, while I ramp up the finished pieces, here are some little bits to show I care...

I take a one hour train ride to and from work everyday, so sometimes I get a little productive on the ride. Here's one morning's passerby doodles of streetlights, signs, and telephone polls.

Wonderland is a personal mini photography series taken at Salisbury, NH

See the full mini series at my website.

Vote for my Design!

2010-07-11T13:53:00.001-04:00

Majestic Being shirt design stages

2010-07-11T10:20:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I think some of the best shirt designs started off as ridiculous inside jokes, and here's my contribution. Working on the elk lines and color treatment, then I'm working in the type. Going to submit the final design to threadless.com

shop!

2010-07-05T19:05:00.000-04:00

link link link

Check out some fun finds on the etsy shop!

Peace.

Summer Cocktail (napkins)

2010-06-26T22:28:00.002-04:00

Have had these little drinks knocking around for almost a year now without a solid idea on where to take them. Playing around with the idea for cocktail napkins (maybe as singles, maybe as patterns) and/or stationary. They do make fun invitational notecards, as well as more "mature" celebration cards.

Nantucket Lantern Pattern: Mock

2010-06-26T21:58:00.003-04:00

A potential route for the lanterns I sketched out while on Nantucket. Has to have the nautical stripes, right?

Nantucket Doodles: The Full Page

2010-06-24T22:26:00.002-04:00

Pretty excited about getting back into the swing of things with all things design-y after a bit of a break from my own work. I've been pretty busy at my new job working with already created game and concept art, so its nice to start a personal projects again.

Lanterns, flags, sea shells, some harpoons mixed in there, plus some general nautical imagery for good measure. Plans? Definitely a strung up lantern pattern for maybe fabric application (I'm thinking a skirt?) and maybe play the old school metal ones against a more vibrant, playful paper lantern design. Also I want to play with the flags more! Results to come!

Nantucket Textures Update!

2010-06-23T13:17:00.002-04:00

Trying to get back into the swing of posting--my job has been taking up a lot of creative (and physical) energy and that makes it tough to generate some cool personal stuff to show. Also, no real desk space for my just yet, as unpacking is in its final stages, but slowed to a crawl.

Something fun and kinda DIY though! Found a nice "celery" color that matches the bedroom so I sprayed an old Ikea floating "lack" shelf and mason jar while I was at it. Makes a really cute vase.

Also just came back from a long weekend on Nantucket, full of cool new ideas for patterns and textures with hints of old-timey nautical themes. Here are just some cool colors and textures from the island.

Old typewriter too!

So yes, hopefully more soon! I have some nautical + lighting inspired inks that I'll scan soon, plus some whaling inspired illustrations. Awesome.

IOU

2010-05-21T12:11:00.002-04:00

Post long overdue!

Here's the bullet points:

Got a job working as the Graphic Designer for 38 Studios, in Maynard, MA. You can see my bio here.
Completed the RISD Alumni Spring Art sale with decent success. Thank you is you stopped by and said hello! I still have tons of paper buttons/pins available for sale, as well as some stationary (I plan on making more and selling them via my website or Etsy).
Have new and exciting work done for Rive, inspired by the botanical and animal world.
Moving to Somerville!

First off, 38 Studios is AWESOME but I can't really go into detail because its a super big secret! Magic gets made here people! Its fun because several RISD friends also work here, like Nick Kole, Fabiola Garza, Brandon Cebenka, Cory Turner, Kai Carpenter, and several potential new hires/interns. I do a mix of corporate things and exciting new possibilities, so once things go live, expect a ton of images.

Umm, jumping right to moving to Somerville...
Chad and I are officially moving in together, with no roommates. Its a big step, I guess, but we've kind of lived together for a few years now, and now we just want some more alone time I guess and to truly decorate our own place. I posted some photos on facebook, and once we properly furnish the place, I'll post more pics there and here.

Photos to come tonight!

2010-04-29T12:44:00.002-04:00

Getting the final pieces ready for the sale this weekend!

Reminder: The RISD Alumni Art Sale is Saturday, May 1st from 9 am-4 pm on Benefit Street in Providence, RI.

I'm sharing a table with the lovely Bronwyn Lewis and we are going super cute/handmade with our wares and setup. I'll be carrying paper (and maybe fabric) buttons, the cats & dogs magnets, homemade funky napkins, botanical stationary, and the Lure Line dinner/salad plates. I'll post a pic from the prep side of things, because I think the set up is going to be adorable, and Chad will, I'm sure, take photos at the actual sale. So come on by!

RISD Summer Art Sale Prep

2010-04-18T18:20:00.002-04:00

Some quick snapshots of what I'm doing for the Summer Art Sale:

Fabric buttons, using vintage and indie fabrics!

Sample of one of the awesome fabrics.

Back by popular demand! Cats & Dogs magnets.

Fond Farewell to how2heroes

2010-04-16T14:06:00.005-04:00

So today marks the final day I'll be in the employ of how2heroes. It's a sad day, but we're all staying on good terms and I hope to be available for events and/or special tastings!

We visited Aquitaine on Tremont Street a few weeks ago and here's the delicious down low on the shoot: Bartender Matthew Coughlin mixed up three classy cocktails ranging from modern masculine to super sweet. Top: Basil in the Rye, Bottom left: Vanilla Bean Gin Julep, Bottom Right: Rosemary Sour. These were fantastic, my favorite being the Rosemary Sour, for its sweet n' creamy taste and texture.

We also went to Vermont! I saw my family! Hurrah! There is a whole official blog posting on the how2heroes blog, but here's the images, just because I'm all about images.

Susan Reid, baker extraordinaire, of King Arthur Flour in Norwich, VT.

Alex and Mike from The Farmer's Diner in Middlebury, VT.

My buddies from Lake Champlain Chocolates! Emily Jones with her chocolate sculpting and Kirk Weed with LCC's Ultimate Chocolate Cake and Raspberry Truffles.

how2heroes pizza shoot

2010-04-08T15:54:00.002-04:00

Quick delicious photo from Fiorella's Restaurant in Newton, MA where we filmed a basic pizza dough, sauce, and assembly this morning. More photos on the how2heroes blog!

Indoor Gardening

2010-04-07T09:23:00.002-04:00

Quick update, photos tonight!

The terrariums Chad and I made with Oregano and Mint have EXPLODED and no longer fit inside their Mason Jars, so thanks to the support of Chad's family, we have more, larger jars for the plants to hang out in. We are also going to start seeds in the terrariums and make an edible container garden as the summer draws closer.

Oh, and the RISD talk went really well!

RISD Guest Critique/Presetation: April 6th

2010-04-02T10:44:00.003-04:00

Getting all pumped up to be a presenter and guest critique(r) for Mary Jane Begin's Artistic License class next Tuesday afternoon. The class is about to get their final project introduced to them, and seeing how that class and that project seriously turned my artistic life around with new focus, I was thrilled to accept her invitation to come in.

I'm planning on going over the three major assignments for the class, including the 'Water Assignment,' which I admittedly flopped a bit on (oh ha ha) but it turned out even better than I could have anticipated.

One of my design applications for the 'Water Assignment,' was this Pottery Barn sofa that I made a repeat for and played with the orange spot color. The Merhorse design became ideal for home decor textiles after this couch, and I went on to also apply it to outdoor furniture and plates.

This is from the 'Patterning Assignment,' an introductory exploration into pattern-making and application for me. I started with octopus and cuttlefish, but eventually fell in love with the squid for their faux-floral appeal. This couch is easily one of my favorite application designs and I really hope to have this fabric printed someday.

The Lure Line! This was the second half of the 'Water Assignment' as well as my final project. Shown here are the finished prototypes fresh from Heinrich Custom Decal where they were fired and made just for me!

A glorious Lure Line photoshopped prototype using a Pottery Barn Great White plate series. This marlin design and the shark bowls design started the whole Lure Line aesthetic, plus I love the marlins the most.

So yes, very excited to talk about my stuff and to have a look at what the students are doing for their assignments! Can't wait!

Boston Events: PAX East Recap

2010-03-31T09:30:00.010-04:00

Here's a little montage of some of the noteworthy sights from PAX East (from the opinion of a part-time nerd). General overview? It was fun! It was exhausting, there was not nearly enough water or volume control, but there were some pretty exciting games and displays that I'll go through...

Top Row, Left to Right:

Dante's Inferno, Skate 3 and Turbine Games showing off with the larger display booths--Dante's Inferno, definitely beautiful, but more annoying than anything else was the plot and some of the general controls (also, it was X Box and I'm a PS3 user, no fun). Skate 3 we just watched, while waiting in line for Red Dead Redemption (1 hour wait)--it was entertaining to watch people wipe out, seeing as the game highlights which bones you break when you fall, so its kind of like those smash and crash racing games... Oh and Turbine has a Lord of the Rings MMO, which is pretty, straightforward, and surprisingly easy to get the hang of.

Middle Row, Left to Right:
Display from Dante's Inferno booth, massive wall display for Red Read Redemption, Power Gig: Rise of the Six String van. Well to jump right to Red Dead, it was pretty damn cool, I have to say, one of the most interesting things to take away from PAX East. At first glance, its Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto with Clint Eastwood, but the game is obviously much more considered than that, starting with REAL HORSE MOTION CAPTURE (its about time a game used it, and boy does this game do it well). Its pretty, its fun, we'll be buying it May 18th. Also! Power Gig was there with their super awesome retro band van giving away shirts, stickers, and good fun. Chad was already wearing his shirt (he works for them after all), but I got a cool night shirt out of the deal. Awesome van, love the marketing idea that went into it!

Bottom Row, Left to Right:
Looked to be some sort of new Dance Dance Revolution for the Nintendo Wii, but requires FULL dance movement, including hands and rhythm. This was hanging out with the new Prince of Persia game (very pretty) and after watching the fun dancing we stopped for a breather at the Penny Arcade Panel on drawing their comics. Loved it, always nice to watch another artist work, especially guys as good-natured as these who have had a surprisingly major impact on their readers. Always have been a fan, will continue to be for some time yet.

Boston Events: Cochon 555 Recap

2010-03-30T10:23:00.005-04:00

Well I certainly had a full weekend...more food and nerdiness than I might usually partake on, but if this is a sign of things to come, sign me up (and hand me some extra bottled water please).

The weekend kicked off early with a Friday night event at VOX populi on Boyleston Street--a sold out wine tasting event to celebrate VOX's 5 year anniversary, complete with Nina Hayes' delicious Vegan Cookie Dough Bon Bons (see photos from the shoot in previous entry). Photos coming as soon as I get them off of my second camera...

Second was an all-day event on Saturday at PAX East, a gaming convention brought to Hynes Convention center (photos coming for this too) for the first time ever on the East Coast. TONS of awesome nerds (I am one of them, yes, but not nearly as extreme as the guy in the Wookie costume). Chad went because First Act and 745 Studios were showing off their new game Power Gig: Rise of the Six String, which he has been designing the menus for. Again, more on this later.

Finally, Sunday evening was dedicated to Cochon 555, a literal pig fest, with 5 pigs being given to 5 major chefs who then turn around and serve a pig-tastic spread to the audience (us) and a panel of judges. There are also 5 major wineries, a Vermont cheese maker, and St. Germain. I went with how2heroes as a guest/photographer.

Ok. The food was, for the most part, delicious (some got a little too greasy, others a little too salty). My favorite might have been Matt Jennings' 'Pig Mac' (he's based in Providence, RI at Farmstead) because it was one of the easiest to eat and screamed comfort food. "All-pork patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame & lard bun." He also had these chicharrones with a lard & crackling rice crispy treat. Strange? Yes, but delicious!

Another table of great note was Hungry Mother, possibly the table having the most fun with their decor and great attitudes. I have it on good authority that they also fed the judges pig testicles. Huh. They might have had the widest variety of food at their table, guaranteeing that you'll find something that you'll like, no problem.

Oh, yeah what a shame I had to toss back several St. Germain cocktails out of thirst (my first time trying the AMAZING liquor). I might start filling up my Brita filter with that from now on...

quick note

2010-03-26T16:08:00.002-04:00

Cutest. Thing. Ever.
So the kids of Mrs. D's second grade classroom sent us thank you letters today from our Tuesday shoot (read all about it on the how2heroes blog) and the portraits alone are amazing. We have posted them on our fridge, but because it is a class of 19, we didn't have a big enough fridge, so we also have them posted on our tack board and taped up around the office.

thanks guys!

how2heroes montage recap

2010-03-26T10:53:00.007-04:00

I've got that montage feeling! Here's a collection of recently filmed/aired chefs and their dishes that I'm especially proud of.

Icelandic Chef Thorarinn Eggertsson who came for Boston's Iceland Week and his two dishes: Cod Fillet w/ Bearnaise sauce (above) and Pan Sautéed Langoustines w/ Carrots (below). He was filmed at the Rustic Kitchen in Downtown Boston and has a charming accent! His videos are now live on how2heroes, so check them out!

Sushi Chefs Jacky Poon (left) and Kin Chan (right) of Fish Market Sushi Bar in Allston, MA. Their dishes were delicious, with a Spicy Salmon Maki (left) by Jacky, and a Baked Spicy Scallop Maki (right) by Kin. They also taught us the basics of selecting sushi grade fish and making sushi rice. Awesome! These videos will be live in the next few weeks.

Smiling Chef Adria Handley of the Italian Restaurant Radici in Portsmouth, NH with her two fantastic dishes: Tiramisu (above), and a Lobster Arancini (below). We filmed in Portsmouth to prepare for Restaurant Week--good luck and enjoy their fantastic food! The Tiramisu video is now live on how2heroes.com

Adorable blogging couple Kristen & Dane Zdunowski made us a beautiful Classic Chicken Pot Pie that we, admittedly, gobbled down like there was no tomorrow. They were awesome, as was the dish, and the video will go live in a few weeks.

Chef Damien DiPaola of Boston North End's Ristorante Damiano treated us to these amazing seafood dishes: (Ahi) Tuna Meatballs (above), and Sea Bass Pistachio w/ Fennel Salad & Blood Orange Sauce (below). The flavors were amazing and tangy and delicious and I NEVER knew I liked cooked Tuna until I tried those meatballs. Both of these videos are live now!

Photo Sneak Peek: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

2010-03-21T17:43:00.004-04:00

A sneak peek collection of photos from the Vegan Cookie Dough photo shoot I did today for SugarMeCookies.com (website under construction). They are all vegan friendly recipes, and all cookie dough based. We have bon bons, naked bon bons, dough, and the cookies themselves. More soon! Took hundreds!!!

New Design on the Website

2010-03-17T23:01:00.001-04:00

Mango Pillow Design

Obviously other applications are possible--the design is just very square, so a square shape like a pillow made sense to me. I also really like it on a white or glass background--could look nice as a shade with lighting...

Small Website Update

2010-03-11T12:35:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note that I've added two new photos to the "food" photography section of my website from how2heroes: the Irish Cream Sabayon (posted last week) and this Spicy Salmon Maki photo from Fish Market Sushi Bar, which is located in Allston, MA. REALLY good sushi there, have to give them a little pimp!

Playing with Spring

2010-03-08T12:26:00.002-05:00

I've been experimenting with some early gardening seeing as we've been getting awesome weather here in Cambridge, so here are some quick pics of what I might be selling at the Spring RISD Art Sale: Miniature Terrariums in Mason Jars.

how2heroes: blog

2010-03-05T13:46:00.003-05:00

Kelsey (producer) and I just wrapped up a great how2heroes blog entry on all of the delicious tidbits from shooting this week. Here are some of my personal highlights:

Today, 10 am, Kelsey made a Guinness Float. Damn.

Author Jeff Potter made Poblano & Cheddar Stuffed Pork Chops and brought the science along too.

Super adorable Hilary Koloski made two delicious cookies: Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies and Snickerdoodle Cookies.

More from how2heroes.com

2010-03-03T13:45:00.002-05:00

Parmesan Fennel Breadsticks made by Chef Jody Adams, of Rialto Restaurant. Rialto is located right in the center of Harvard Square and they have $1 oyster nights on Monday!

Irish Cream Sabayon, shot today at the Ashmont Grill (right at Ashmont station on the red line), by Chef Clare Garland. This was delicious and was served atop a Guinness Chocolate Cake.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies, courtesy of Hilary Koloski, of Cow & Crumb, a cookie filled with pretzel bits, tons of peanut butter, and "seasoned" with sea salt.

SMALL portion of photos

2010-03-01T19:26:00.005-05:00

This is just a small collection of the photos I took on my recent trip to Saint Lucia. Many, many botanical references and inspirations that you should expect soon!

Evening with the Piton volcanoes, note the tall ship (we think from Russia) in the corner of the harbor.

Local homes.

Evening clouds.

Exotic Ginger flowers.

Chad and the pitons.

The pitons and small fishing boats.

The view from our window.

Next Sale

2010-02-18T08:57:00.001-05:00

Just announced! Bronwyn Lewis and I will be sharing a table at the Spring RISD Alumni Art Sale in May on Benefit Street of Providence, RI! Details and inventory soon!

Exciting!

2010-02-17T22:33:00.001-05:00

Can you guess what I'm working on?

Cupcakes at how2heroes by Jessie

2010-02-17T15:47:00.002-05:00

So today Jessie came in with Cannoli Cupcakes and shared them with the office. She's got a sweet blog that I think you should check out!

It's like my job to take photos of my co-workers that they'll hate/kill me over. I DO get paid.

These are the bad boys. Best part? They SMELL ridiculously good. Zested lemon, check.

More how2heroes Photography (plus a link to a live video)

2010-02-11T15:38:00.002-05:00

Two more noteworthy shoots I wanted to highlight here (plus a pretty little thing at the end).

A Cajun Duck Cassoulet from Chef Rembs Layman at Tupelo restaurant (just down the street from our offices) with a nice bit of sausage in there too for garnish.

Chef Rembs Layman of Tupelo with his dish.

Okay, this was a really cool idea: Carrot Noodles! Chef Lars Liebisch of BCAE made us three dishes, these two happening to photograph best. Long carrot shavings, then glazed with orange and ginger. Delicious!

Another REALLY good dish by Chef Lars Liebisch from BCAE: Bacon-Wrapped Bananas with Chili! Yeah, sounds too strange, but it was GOOD and glazed with a pineapple chutney/jam then baked so it all got *slightly* crispy. Fantastic.

Chef Lars Liebisch with his final dish, a Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Lime and Basil Leaves, served alongside the Carrot Noodles. It was great and EASY--I actually was able to recreate it last night without a copy of the recipe. It just makes SENSE.

Macarons! These are from Jason Bond of Beacon Hill Bistro, and the video went live today.

Really Cool, Inspiring things

2010-02-08T22:42:00.002-05:00

Here's a list of awesome design that I would like to implement in the near future:

1. Awesome little plant terrariums.

2. Awesome plant centerpieces around the house.

3. Design and actually create tea towels.

4. Design and actually make cool fabrics for my own apron.

5. Wall decals!

6. Infused sugars! Infused anything!

7. Jar decorating design ideas.

8. Anything to do with flowers and fruit.

New Website Landing Page

2010-02-07T17:50:00.003-05:00

Just did a little redesign on the web page, using a montage image from my applications portfolio for a more colorful first impression.

Some other fun things that may work their way to the blog in the near future include initial designs for a new decal/etching project, as well as some new work for my Tuckaboo projects.

Tasty Trio!

2010-02-03T10:49:00.003-05:00

Well its getting close to that time again...Valentine's Day! Around town with how2heroes has been a real treat, so here's a little preview of my three favorite dishes (thus far):

Denise Baron, of Burtons Grill (by Fenway), an amazing chef who make Oysters Rockefeller for us. What was really cool about this dish was that the Rockefeller sauce, that she topped the oysters with, is really flexible, so it could totally go on top of pasta, on grilled sandwiches, really anything!

Yeah these were delicious. Oysters Rockefeller thanks to Chef Denise Baron. I think next time we get invited to the Cape, I'm going to try to attempt these bad boys.
(Video coming soon, probably this week)

Chef Jason Bond, of Beacon Hill Bistro & Hotel, which is right on Charles Street. Not only is he a super nice chef, he's made a ton of awesome gourmet dishes for how2heroes. He made for us three dishes: Buttercream Frosting (below), Bergamot Ganache, and French Macarons (using raspberries and rose petals).

What else would you want a heaping bowl of? Buttercream frosting courtesy of Chef Jason Bond.
(Video coming soon, just in time for Valentine's Day)

Eunice Feller, owner of Bread & Chocolate Bakery Cafe in Newtonville. She might be the cupcake master of all time, seeing as she's already made one amazing cupcake recipe for how2heroes, and this Red Velvet Cupcake was a delicious second. She's a riot too, very witty, very sweet, and full of awesome stories.

These were made yesterday evening and I can personally say that they were delicious AND easy to make.
(Video coming in time for Valentine's Day)

Stationary Projects and a RISD Update

2010-01-30T12:25:00.002-05:00

So I had my talk at RISD, which went swimmingly! Turns out 75 people RSVPed for the event, but a flash blizzard (haha, yeah, seriously) turned up as we were setting up so we had a comfy 30 or so people, pretty evenly divided between students and alumni. The talk went very well and even a little longer than expected, and I was also able to hang out with Mary Jane Begin, a former teacher, and get some professional suggestions as to the course of actions for several projects. All in all, fantastic.

New project planning for the Summer Art Sale! No news yet as to the results of the RISD Student and Alumni Spring Art Sale, but I'm pretty sure that no matter what I'll find my way to a portion of someone's table. That being said, I have been buffing up my collection of animals for my Magnanimals magnet sets, as well as putting some thought into stationary. The tomato vine design on my website ("first blush"), which is pictured on the flower vase, is a 2-layer design, with the watercolors on a separate layer from the line art. I've been printing just the lines on some nice quality watercolor paper and filling in the green/yellow/orange with watercolors by hand. They are about 4" x 5" and will be available for the sale, and I'm putting research into setting up a paypal on my website.

Take it Out Dancing

2010-01-27T14:15:00.002-05:00

T-Shirt Design for how2heroes, using a quote from "Mr. Cake" who made three videos with us (now live) and has two more in the pipeline. It was really a great quote so I made a mock up for this image I found online (I do not claim the people or their photo).

Does this strike your fancy? Please let me know.

Just for fun

2010-01-25T14:03:00.001-05:00

Bleeding Hearts Design

2010-01-22T16:43:00.003-05:00

Just found this design that I had mocked up for glass application over the summer as a part of an impromptu portfolio specifically for tabletop. I really like it and think that my strengths are in flora, fauna, and the strange. Not a bad trinity...

'nother one

2010-01-22T11:50:00.001-05:00

BTW, these shirt designs are for how2heroes and the images that they are placed on are from various parts of the web.

oh carnivores

2010-01-22T10:34:00.000-05:00

Always Happy to Oblige my Friends and Neighbors

2010-01-21T15:20:00.000-05:00

how2heroes is having a cookbook sweepstakes.
Enter here to win!

These Videos Now Live

2010-01-21T15:08:00.005-05:00

Cake Finishing Techniques

Basic Hot Milk Sponge Cake

Something Familiar

2010-01-20T16:52:00.002-05:00

Today's photos from www.how2heroes: Chocolate Covered Cherries (infused with liquor). I love nothing more than photographing chocolates.

The delicious cherries.

Carolyn Cope, of Cares Bakery, chef in charge.

Updates from the world of how2heroes.com

2010-01-19T14:40:00.002-05:00

A fun selection of photos from the most recent shoots with how2heroes.com. All of these videos were shot within the last week, so none of them are live yet, but they are all expected to be live in time for Superbowl week and/or Valentine's Day. Keep an eye out!

Sarah Woodfine, of Troquet, located on the Commons, showing off her desserts. This was shot this morning.

A Steamed Lemon Pudding, delicious, which will be launched in time for Valentine's Day.

Sweet & Spicy Chipotle Chicken Wings, a fantastic appetizer for game day, will go live by Superbowl.

Chef Scott Robertson of Grafton Street (Harvard Square) shows off his wings.

Yeah, yeah, this is me looking goofy in a hairnet. We shot at Dole & Bailey, which taught us where the different cuts of meat are on the cow. Chainsaws were used. Awesome.

New Drink Photos

2010-01-16T19:57:00.006-05:00

Just finished a great 6 hour photo session for new standard drink photos of margaritas, mojitos, and more using the speciality spices, sugars, and salts of Lime Tree Cove. These are some of my favorite shots:

Raspberry Lemonade (suggested look of the drink and sugar).

Classic Mojito, using the Sweet Mint rimming sugar.

Classy, Romantic Cosmo with a pink sugar rim. Suggested Raspberry.

Super Citrus Margarita, using Clementines and Oranges, rimmed with Simple Sea Salt.

Ok, this was pretty much for fun and as a little celebration for the upcoming Chinese New Year. Stock up on oranges!

Funky Bloody Mary, rimmed with Spicy Chili Cocktail Salt.

Elegant Orange Margarita. Rimmed with Simple Sea Salt.

Yesterday's Shoot: Four Burgers

2010-01-16T10:38:00.001-05:00

I wanted to post some of my photos from yesterday's shoot (we hit up two places). Here is Chef Michael Bissanti and his Epic OMG Brownies. They are deadly delicious, and the video will be coming soon, hopefully in time for a Superbowl snack.

P.S. Four Burgers is located in Central Square, right next to the Red Line. If you are in the area, I strongly recommend their Turkey Burgers and the OMG Brownies!

Speaking Engagements

2010-01-16T10:34:00.003-05:00

Just a fun little announcement:

I'll be speaking on January 28th about my experiences, influences, and beginnings in the licensing industry as part of a RISD Career Services informational series. I will be joined by an attorney who specializes with licensing artists and will have several physical and digital examples of my work in school and what is has resulted in outside of school.

The engagement is 7-8 pm in the Upper Met, RISD Students and Alumni welcome, but please RSVP with Career Services.

Sexy Back

2010-01-15T17:54:00.002-05:00

T-shirt design inspired by a how2heroes shoot at Northeastern Family Farms yesterday. Our hero described the sirloins and tenderloins of the cow as the "sexy muscles" so I couldn't resist the joke.

Hawaiian Black Lava Salt Packaging

2010-01-13T23:07:00.001-05:00

Last flavor for the night. I'm beat.

Simple Sea Salt Packaging

2010-01-13T22:30:00.000-05:00

Another simple flavor for Lime Tree Cove. It may seem like I'm going post crazy, but the catalogue is being created for all of the upcoming flavors, so I am pushing to get them all done in time.

Bamboo Cutting Board Packaging

2010-01-13T19:56:00.002-05:00

So these bad boys got printed and look fantastic! They are going to be available online at Lime Tree Cove's website, and also at KitchenArts on Newbury Street.

Photos from Today's Shoot

2010-01-13T16:50:00.003-05:00

Some photos from today's how2heroes shoot, with Greg Case, aka "Mr. Cake." Showed us a basic cake recipe, then all sorts of cool things you can do to frost and decorate the cake. DELICIOUS.

how2heroes meets RISD

2010-01-13T15:50:00.001-05:00

So I'm not sure if you know Ben Bronstein, but he is a fellow RISD Illustration graduate, plus a fantastic chef! We filmed him yesterday making a vegetarian cassoulet dish, delicious! I'll link the video when it goes live.

Saint Patrick's Day Flavor Packaging

2010-01-12T23:03:00.001-05:00

A general "any flavor will fit" packaging design for St. Pattie's Day.

Revised Cinco De Mayo

2010-01-12T21:50:00.001-05:00

Name change for the Cinco de Mayo flavor packaging. Going with a more tropical name.

Magnanimals: Penguin & Puffin

2010-01-12T20:09:00.003-05:00

Expanding the magnet animal line with these two buddies. Not sure if this is the beginning of a birds group or just cold weather creatures.

how2heroes photos and videos live

2010-01-11T12:24:00.004-05:00

In an effort to show a little bit of the process at how2heroes, here are some of my favorite photos from on the job, as well as their videos, so you can see how to make them yourself!

Osso Bucco, video not yet live (will be this week!)

Maple Pumpkin Creme Caramel. Delicious!

Grilled Asiago and Goat Cheese Sandwich (with tomato jam and balsamic reduction dipping sauce) is actually really to make, but you really got to get the right kind of bread!

Turkey Burgers, using apples in with the turkey meat. Great little tip for keeping the meat really juicy.

DIY Espresso Vodka, killer, and there are two other do-it-yourself vodka infusions linked.

This is the Crispy Fried Pig Ears from Hugos in Maine.

Lime Tree Cove Bamboo Cutting Board Label

2010-01-11T00:17:00.002-05:00

The wraparound retail label for our little bamboo cutting boards. They have become quite popular, so it was deemed necessary that they become a retail item with its own little sleeve. Found a fantastic bamboo texture and went from there.

Raspberry Lemonade Packaging

2010-01-10T21:53:00.001-05:00

Another flavor packaging design for Lime Tree Cove.

Shooting for one more design tonight.

Cinco De Mayo Season Flavor

2010-01-10T12:40:00.001-05:00

The Block Party Combo/Variety Pack.

New packaging and flavor combos that will be released in time for Cindo de Mayo.

Smooth Maple Vanilla

2010-01-09T15:51:00.002-05:00

So this was originally going to be a dragon thing, but as it turns out, dragons really don't convey "vanilla" so the dragon is temporarily held, with this as a replacement.

I'm not always a fan of a red this...red. But it matches the Bacardi red, which is what matters.

Tuckaboo Designs

2010-01-09T15:04:00.002-05:00

Posting some of my recent design work with a client who has created a swaddling blanket for newborns. Love the name, "Tuckaboo"

Hangtag design, complete with directions for use.

Logo Designs. The middle one is the final version.

Directions for use. These were fun.

Goals

2010-01-09T11:31:00.002-05:00

Hey so Bacardi is getting some cool new art...

The new Dragon Berry looks pretty sweet and Lime Tree Cove is working on partnering up with them with our newest flavor, Vanilla Maple (or Maple Vanilla, which sounds better?). I usually have those little fruity or flowery patterns fading in and out on my packaging design...but Vanilla is hella hard and DRAGONS are so much cooler...

...expect something soon.

More bus bus bus

2010-01-03T21:46:00.002-05:00

Just playing with backgrounds...