Over the years I have done a lot of work. Direct Mail, environmental graphics, digital projects, etc. This part of my portfolio just has some of the more Misc. fun pieces. Some pro-bono, some personal. Having started out as a fine artist, until I realized unless you're one of the lucky it doesn't pay the bills, I still strive to do work that is occasionally less serious and just more creatively fun.
I have always encouraged those I have worked with to find an additional creative outlet. Writing, painting, building websites or games, whatever it is, they help keep you fresh and engaged. In world where we seem to always be connected and working, it is that much more important for making us feel fulfilled and valued personally.
Time Warner Cabled San Antonio – This client was a lot of fun in that we got to be very splashy with visuals. The nice thing about a cable company is that you have a ton of stuff to work from. Plus at the time they were our clients, HD was just making in-roads and Satellite TV was becoming a major competitor. They wanted big, bold, fun that got people's attention and excited them. From flying pigs that hung from the ceiling in electronics/TV Audio stores to oversized post cards, we gave them what they wanted and had a lot of fun doing it.
Tesoro San Antonio – Each year in San Antonio, there is a huge annual event that spans several days called Fiesta. This event is a huge money maker and many corporations sponsor the event. One of the traditions are the Fiesta Medals that are put out by organizations and corporations. These are custom designed pins that are sold and or earned. They are extremely popular collections items. Especially if they are limited editions or known artists.
We designed two medals for Tesoro for a friend who worked in their marketing department. They ended up manufacturing the one on the top left. The medal was a big hit and people snapped them up quickly!
National Asian Indian Dance Convention – I have always enjoyed the rich visuals of India. The colors, patterns, sculpture, culture, have always always intrigued and excited me. I happen to have had several clients who hailed from India. One in particular, a Neurosurgeon, also ran an Indian Dance school and I volunteered to help put together the materials for their first convention.
I cleaned up and modified their school logo for the convention and had the opportunity to work with some fantastic photos. I love big bold bright color, this afforded me the chance to work with bold colors and not have to worry about the client having a heart-attack!
Hamsa – Friends were having twins and I wanted to give them a special gift for their nursery. They were Jewish and their kids were half Indian so I wanted the gift to be culturally and religiously significant. After a great deal of research, I settled on creating my version of the Hamsa hand which was prevalent in Jewish culture and meant to ward off evil spirits. I picked up the traditional visual elements of the Hamsa hand and then added elements that spoke to the Indian heritage such as the mandalas, the Lotus motif and the sanskrit Ohm.
The piece was a collaborative piece. I drew and designed the initial composition and outline and my partner, who is an incredibly accomplished illustrator, gave it life digitally painting in the piece. We then printed it on an acid-free archival paper with out high-end Epson printer using archival inks.
The gift was well received and still hangs in a prominent spot in their home.
Ganesh - My two girls also happen to be half Indian. As their birth neared, and given how great the Hamsa print turned out, I decided to do another print. This time it was more specifically Indian as I chose the Hindu deity Ganesha as the subject matter. I did a lot of research on the imagery to make sure I was not making any cultural faux-pas. Like any such subject matter, there are a lot of interpretations so I narrowed it down to the most popular of the interpretations.
Once again, this was a collaborative effort with my partner. The final finished piece, in my opinion, is just beautiful. I gave a print to my Concierge and Friend (who was Hindu) in Mumbai, India when I stayed there for a month and he was just blown away.
Once again, this was a collaborative effort with my partner. The final finished piece, in my opinion, is just beautiful. I gave a print to my Concierge and Friend (who was Hindu) in Mumbai, India when I stayed there for a month and he was just blown away.
