So I came across a could different postings on creative lighting that I thought I would share with everyone. I’ve been on this interior design kick trying to make my living space more me, but these articles are always interesting anyway. I hope you are inspired and just enjoy the images J

The Fiat Lux Lamp by Constance Guisset and Grégory Cid

This lamp uses magnetism and a floating orb “switch” to fill your room with light.

Next is one of my favorites the Sticky Lamp. The lamps have adhesive back which stick to any surface. Use them for just lighting up your space or interesting wall art. You can purchase for $47 at gSelect.

Last is the Oyule lamp series. Sergio Silva (an industrial designer) takes us in a time warp using oil to provide light in very modern day light bulbs.

Last night I went to The Cave in Chapel Hill, NC to see my brother play with Frankie Goodrich and Matt Bowen in the Band Cool Kid Collective (CKC ROCKS MY FACE…you need to check them out). It’s Chapel Hill, so I never know really what’s in store for me, but this bar was an awesome little hole in the wall, and it really felt like you were in a cave (I was almost a little claustrophobic). All around, it was just a very quaint bar where you couldn’t help but feel comfortable.

One of the guys’ friends, Hogan, whose main form of art is architecture (very geometric, balanced and structured) but also does a lot of graffiti/tag art for the band, was out last night as well. We talked once about collaborating on some designs, but just never really got a chance to go forward with any of it. But last night the collaborative efforts merged when the bartender handed Hogan a Sharpie and said, “sure you can draw anywhere but the bar top”.  What…..what was that????????? When i bartender hands you a Sharpie and says go at it…you don’t take that for granted….EVER!  :)

So Hogan started it off…with what look like a phallic symbol (you can only guess)…and from there we took turns adding elements, talking and seeing where we wanted the final drawing to end up once we got the initial pieces. All in all since we were at the CKC show it ended up that we did a skull version of the band, Frankie, J.D., and Matt with all their instruments and the CKC tagged logo (i made sure my brother was the skull with the biggest head haha he was a big headed child what can i say).

But all in all I think this starts off my design study for CKC. I wish I had a better image of the final, but the place was next to dark and the flash blew the entire image out. But it’s possibly something to build a style off for the band and I can retrace in illustrator and continue with the drawing. I also acquired knowledge of their tag line “CKC ROCKS MY FACE” (from Amy’s lovely tag on the table) which I LOVE and will definitely make sure to put in the designs.

Hogan/Rachelle Collaborative Sketch on the table at The Cave (Chapel Hill, NC)

THANKS FOR DRAWING WITH ME, HOGAN!!! I look forward to more doodle sessions!

SCRIBE MUNDO DE PAPEL from ladies on Vimeo.

Raz Ohara and the Odd Orchestra (Apparat Remix) from zka11 on Vimeo.

I found this video in my searches on Artbistro.com and this photographer is amazing, the pictures have such beautiful colors and depth, and depict a very intimate look at the faces of these people.

As quoted from the ArtBistro online article, “Photographer Hans Silvester spent several years in Ethopia documenting the art and lives of the Omo River Valley inhabitants. The Omo people decorate their faces and bodies with natural pigments, plants, and feathers.”

Everyone knows as a child they used to play with the Etch-a-Sketch. My problem was trying to transport the image to show off, by the time I reached my destination most if not all of the image was gone. Regardless, I think even to this day I could have so much fun if someone put one of those in front of me.

I found this blog today with 37 Super Cool Etch-a-Sketch Drawings. Just a little nostalgic throwback for everyone and also a chance to see…a good artist can use ANYTHING!

As someone who has been immersed in the music world since BEFORE birth, I have a great love and respect for everything music. My family is very musically inclined, from mom and dad to my brother and sister, but somehow I fell onto the artistic end of the creative genes (no complaints here though…i love it!).

However, I am not without musical aspirations. I always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. I’d listen to friends growing up, going to live shows, coffee house gigs, listening to my parents’ band practice, and more, and I just never got around to learning how to play since I got so involved in my design. Personally, I’d rather paint, draw or photograph a musician than play (oh…and I have stage fright too that might be another reason).

I wanted to somehow combine my love of music with my deep passion for art/design (which music and art can be so closely related anyway). This will be my first of many “Musically Inspired Design” posts.

First focus: GUITARS!

Some guitars are just gorgeous in their naturally made form, color, intricate detail, curves and lines. It’s just an all around pleasing structure. But as beautiful as a guitar can be on it’s own, I wanted to show you artists’ use of this instrument as a base canvas to create their own art. Below is a collection of inked, painted and decorated guitars, with vibrant color and detail. Some of the images have links below to the source so you can read more about each guitar and artist, and see more images. I hope you enjoy the collection, and I added a little childhood throwback for good measure!! In the future I plan on buying an old guitar and creating some design of my own. I’ll post images when that is complete!

If you know any other artists I should look up for their custom guitar decor please comment and let me know. Send links, images, etc!

Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Special Engraved Guitar

Kama Sutra Guitar by RKS

DA Guitar by MrGone2001

Chaos Guitar

Custom Fender by ADAMGF

Acoustic Moon by Jeremyville

My Guitar by Ithiel

Guitar by Venonded

Guitar by Blues Boy Burd

Obey Guitar

Custom Paint by Cathee Clausen Fine Arts

(and just for fun!) TMNT Custom Paint by Paul Reed Smith

Some information found on DesignFlavr.com. Also posted on facebook become a fan of SRL Design.

In the most basic sense kinetic typography is an art, technique and expression thru animated text. It is order and chaos all in one! It’s been around for a while, but you see it more and more all over the place, films, commercials, viral videos, etc. The art of really mastering kinetic typography comes with the understanding of how each word relates to the word that follows and how it expresses the vision as a whole. It also is how the animation of one specific word conveys it’s individual meaning: does the word jump really jump, does the word angry convey that emotion, and so on and so forth. You’ll see this kind of type used a lot on TBS commercials and the images that pop up in the corner of the screen to promote an upcoming TV show or movie. Here are a couple kinetically typographic videos I found and enjoyed. You can also check my last post You STILL Can Do ANYTHING! for another really great video. ENJOY! Also if you have any I should check out let me know!

As posted from Gwen Bell

This is a great video. Never give up on your vision of life and how you can make a difference in it!

“At various points in my life, design has suddenly seemed unimportant. Yet, I’ve always managed to rekindle my interest, and despite a few ‘bust-ups’ I’m still in love with graphic design.”
- Adrian Shaughnessy

I spend a lot of time at bookstores, sitting on the floor like it’s my living room, sprawled out flipping thru all sorts of different books. Yes, they do have chairs I could sit in, but I never do. The other day I was on my usually browse thru the books and came across this simple blue book called How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul.

At first the title made me laugh. Sometimes you do feel like design in an office setting is this soul sucking beast, and all your creativity is drained due to a need for mostly template based design. Then I really thought about it and it almost made me sad. Becoming a “graphic designer” (in the business sense of the words), I (at first) really did lose my love for the basic forms of art and just relied on what I could generate on my computer. I got so used to using a mouse and staring at a computer screen that I forgot my heart and the root of using my hands. Fortunately for me I have found that love again and the reason I became an artist and a designer to begin with. However, sadly some people get so caught up in the business of design and design as a job, that they forget the love and base behind everything. It becomes like “Office Space”. No more TPS reports please! I’m not saying office settings are bad for your creative gene; it’s just that you have to find ways to keep that gene stimulated so you don’t lose it.

I thought for a while since I started freelancing, wow I’m really lucky…design to me is not just a job anymore…it’s a career and something I have complete passion, love and devotion to (sounds like i’m married to my work…and I guess you can say at this point I am). But then the other night my friend Tina said something that didn’t strike me right then and I wasn’t sure I got her comment, but after I thought about it for a while the light bulb went on. She was talking about what she wanted to do with her life when it comes to work, and I made the comment that design was not just a job to me anymore that it was a career and she said, “I don’t want mine to be either.”

The more and more I thought about that comment the more I understood where she was coming from. I don’t want to do anything that feels like work. I want what I do to be an extension of me and a part of me. It’s not just a focus or a career path…it’s who I am…I live art and design everyday. Yes, I do turn a profit, but that is not the reason that I chose to be an artist. I guess all in all it’s really hard to convey in writing or verbally what I mean. It’s just this feeling that you know you are in the right place and everything is in harmony. I wish this was a feeling that at some point in everyone’s life they could experience and know the euphoric nature of it.

(Here is the Full Interview from Adrian on the book)
Adrian Shaughnessy Speak Up Full Interview