WayHome Website

Working with Ned and Tim has been a joy. Here is a look at where we are currently up to with the WayHome website. Their business is a designated driver service - it is excellent business idea new to Milwaukee.

AIGA Leadership Retreat in Minneapolis

Every year AIGA supports board members from all its chapters across the country with a retreat, 
this year in Minneapolis. 

The AIGA Wisconsin Education Committee has lots of great ideas for the second half of the year, 

as well as continuing the Cultivate Mentorship program. I'm off to find out what other chapters are 
doing and if there are similar ideas being implemented. The idea is to gather information and advice. 

There are 4 of us going to soak it up. Can't wait.

Open Studio

When Lorri first visited my studio, just a few months ago, she was taken by the work and surprised by the studio. It is a large, bright and decaying space in an old warehouse building, it is surprisingly tranquil and beautiful. Happily she bought a painting and encouraged me to open the studio for some friends and friends of friends. This is happening for the first time on Saturday May 28th, so please join us.

I spend my time in the studio working on graphic design projects, painting, drawing and at the moment recreating small plant parts such as pea and bean pods from polymer clay and painting sticks I've found while walking the dog. This preoccupation is in its experimental stages and appears to be developing into some exciting possibilities - who knows where it will go.

There are two distinct parts to me as an artist, and I've noticed it often in other people; there is the wild and gestural, who wants to be free and break things, and the other who is slower, more considered, meditative, is absorbed by detail and careful production. I've attached some images of some paintings, drawings and the experimental work with different natural materials, you'll see the two artists quite distinctly.

These painterly gestural works began when I arrived in the US from Australia, they are about the surprises and difficulties of dislocation.

At times when I am away from the studio I make these small polymer clay objects, mostly characters, sometimes hands. There is something compelling about aimlessly making something with no intended use or outcome. It makes a great departure from the constraints of graphic design.

And sometimes there is realism...

The D-Group

I am lucky enough this session to be teaching what UWM has developed as the D-Goup. 
The D-Group is and elective where students have their first taste of client/designer 
relationships with projects that will see their way into the commercial world. In this case 
under my guidance - or creative direction.
    We have 3 projects, all with their own complexities and issues to be negotiated. 
They are very good clients. We are designing a festival poster, a Year of the Arts logo 
and a film and music website. 
    It's a great way to to teach and learn, and from what I've seen so far the students 
are engaged, excited and involved. Great for all of us.

AIGA Wisconsin 2011 Folio Review Postcard

I liked the idea that the poster for the Folio Review could be proudly presented as a
folio piece itself. No matter what our level is as designers - we all show our work and
are open to any number of critiques. Part of the Folio Review is about what it is to
critique in a constructive and kind way that helps us and the students.
   Hopefully I'll see you all there on April 2 at UWM Kenilworth, either as a reviewer
or student, for more info go to www.wisconsin.aiga.org

Harrison's Health and Beauty Pharmacies - 15 successful stores

For the past 7 years I have been working with Ngar-yi Ho  (interior designer) Welly Fermanto and Warren Harrison (clients) developing a successful and beautiful brand for Harrison's Health and Beauty Pharmacies. There are now 15 stores across the east cost of Australia, all trading extremely well.
     My part in the ongoing project has to been to develop the distinctive visual identity of the stores, working with and embellishing the clean, simple and beautiful interiors. 
   I have developed a range of intimate large-format graphic imagery of plants, fruit and flowers that engage and focus the attention of the customer and help to slow customers to browse the beauty, perfume, bath and health offers as well as hold and frame the array of small products. 

   

Electrodata branding program - brochures and website

Recording equipment manufacturer Electrodata wanted to help celebrate their 40 years in business with a brand update. I gave them a clean new down-to-earth photographic and typographic overhaul that was all about clarity and the relationships between the people who use their equipment in sometimes life-threatening situations. 

    Electrodata also had a tired and unfocused website - I developed a more concise site map and applied the branding strategies I had developed for their printed media to their digital media.

Royal Botanic Gardens - Sydney Australia

The time was right for a new identity for the Royal Botanic Gardens Shop when a new building 

was being designed and built to house the store. The identity was designed in reponse to the 

historic significance of the gardens and it’s contribution to the preservation of the botanic history 

of Sydney. The shop also includes a bookstore that has a loyal, older, mainly female customer 

base. The identity was applied to signage, business stationery, shopping bags, labels, swing tags, 

wrapping paper and souvenir packaging as pictured above.

Pro-bono event promotion

Bese Saka is a not-for-profit performance arts school for low income kids in Milwaukee to go to after 
school and during holidays. Bese Saka’s artistic director asked for posters and postcards that were 
inexpensive, fun and colorful to appeal to the budding young performers.

Colber Kerr website

A simple, vibrant and engaging website for a branding and sales company. Colber Kerr
focussed on bringing well researched and creative branding upgrades to small and medium
sized companies and helping them with strategies and networks to reenergize sales.
Colber Kerr has closed.

Australian Cyclist magazine

Australian Cyclist is a bi-monthly magazine published by Bicycle New South Wales, a not for profit 
organization promoting recreational cycling. The magazine has a wide readership, but is primarily 
aimed at men aged between 30 and 50. Of course we ha a tight budget and a limited time frame.

    The design needed to be highly legible, energetic and easy to reproduce under tight time frames. 
A simple typographic approach was created with an energetic colour system, simple use of photography 
and the introduction of quirky illustrative elements.
    Michelle French and I collaborated on this project, it was our first large project together. Generally,

we split the project in two(ish) - I worked on the typography, color scheme and layout and Michelle 

on the masthead, illustrations and covers. It's great to see our combination of styles working together.

I still love seeing her fresh apple on the bike seat.

AIGA Wisconsin 2011 Folio Review

AIGA host it's first folio review on April 2 at UWM Kenilworth. Happily I was able to design the initial 
event identity, web presence and other collateral. Kahler Slater has generously taken on the signage 
for the day - can't wait to see it.

Make sure, if you are a graphic design student, that you take advantage of the opportunity.
If you are a professional, perhaps you would like to be a reviewer. 
Please go to www.wisconsin.aiga.org to see more details