D-O-I-N-G-S

JUJU: A new body of work

2010-02-07T22:40:00.006-06:00

JUJU No.1

JUJU No.2

Hey. I know, I know, it's been a while. But, baby, you know I still love you. You're the only one for me and everything.

Anyway, I started a new body of work—fine Art!—called Juju. Upcoming posts will explain this title more in depth. Right now I just want to show the first 2 prints. I made them completely analog, cutting out the pieces from thick paper and taping them to sheets of mylar to make the films for screen printing.

More to come. Seriously. Stay tuned!

The In-List: September '09

2009-09-04T11:11:00.009-05:00

A list of people, places, things, & ideas
that inspire me this month.

Zander Blom: The Travels of Bad
Wolfgang Weingart
Akkurat
Galaxie Copernicus
Jeffrey Campbell
FFFFOUND!
Irma Boom books
dolman sleeves
boot jewelry
parachute formations

PartyGhost Logo Design

2009-09-02T16:47:00.004-05:00

New logo design for PartyGhost Productions. Also coded up a new website so peeps have something to look at when they visit thepartyghost.com.

"Hair'em Scare'em" Sneak Preview

2009-08-24T16:48:00.005-05:00

Heard from Gestalten today. The book's been designed and will be available for purchase in October. See the sneak preview. It's super impressive!! I'm wicked flattered to be included somewhere alongside the other amazing artists and designers. I wonder what page My Beard is on.

Re:Located

2009-08-05T10:49:00.002-05:00

I moved in July. Right before that, I made this banner to post on my website as "July News." Didn't get to do that... so in an attempt to give it the glory it deserves, I'm giving it a home on d-o-i-n-g-s.

Awesome Screen Shots: The Who's TOMMY

2009-07-21T22:32:00.003-05:00

I love taking pictures of the screen during weird movies. Before this, I took pictures of the movie Highlander during every scene where the Kurgan appears. Wasn't really sure what to do with that... but now I'm kind of realizing that screen shots are sort of art in themselves. The photos standing alone, out of the film context, seem to have their own narrative - or invite the viewer to project one. Tommy is such a weird flick, and, like my other faves, Highlander and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, it has plenty of killer set-ups for my eyes to devour. The rest of the screen shots are up on flickr.

Horne is Getting Published!

2009-07-16T09:41:00.006-05:00

This month I was invited to submit the poster "My Beard" (for Sweet Hair) to be published in a book! The book's working title is "HAIRY," and it's being published by Gestalten. I've always loved their books, so this is a huge honor! Here is the project description:

HAIRY, an upcoming title by international art and design book publisher Gestalten, will document and celebrate the beauty and strangeness of hair in a crosssection of contemporary projects in fashion, photography, art and illustration.

Digger Sale Posters

2009-07-14T19:09:00.003-05:00

…click on this image to see the detail!

Recent side project: make some graphics for Blacklist Vintage's B-Day Digger Sale. Here's the poster (11 x 17 Kinko's action...hooray budget$!) There is also a flyer & a web banner, soon to be posted on my website.

BTW, if you are reading this and you're in Mpls, you should totes go to this event!

Gettin' Crafty

2009-07-14T11:22:00.002-05:00

This is the closest I will ever come to scrapbooking. How do people even have time for that? I made these photo albums from kits I found at Paper Source. Super convenient. They're pre-cut and everything. The cover paper is from this cute little shop on State Street in Madison, WI called Pop Deluxe. Awesome gift shop. I highly recommend going to their website!

My Scarf Collection

2009-07-13T16:49:00.002-05:00

I just found this photo in my archives. It's a pic I took of my scarf collection a while back.

Test Print Earrings for Etsy!

2009-07-08T09:43:00.002-05:00

Here's a sneak-peek at some earrings I just made. I cut 'em out of one of my test prints. None of them are the same, which is pretty hot.

R E M I N D E R:

ETSY BLAST JULY 20th! MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Over 20 items going up on mixandpour! Makes it almost like a real store. Posters, accessories, and miscellany. Yaaaay!

Am I the luckiest person on Earth?

2009-06-29T18:54:00.004-05:00

...or are these things just really easy to find? This is the collection I returned with after a weekend of camping. And I even left some behind! Wtf is going on here? I hope this is the universe's way of encouraging my big move to NYC in August.

Cosmic, man, totally cosmic.

Beautiful plaster heads.

2009-06-22T17:54:00.004-05:00

My moulding & casting totally WORKED! These are reproductions of vintage wall art that came from one of the old ladies in my family. Not sure which one, but that's not the point. The point is that I got it right and now I can make more! In case you were wondering, here's a list of materials I used:

- latex brush-on mold making rubber
- gauze (for mold backings)
- insulating foam sealant (helps molds keep their shape and still maintain flexibility)
- strong plaster of paris

Next, paint and sell on etsy!

Psych Out! A new print series.

2009-06-18T09:17:00.002-05:00

I want to do a serious printmaking project while I still have a studio (btw, if you know anyone with a printmaking space to share in NYC, email me!)... "Psych Out!" is the idea... psychedelic compositions made with tons of transparent layers overprinted on each other. They look kind of subtle on screen. The ink colors will be more saturated when I do this fo' real. It will be a small, varied edition of 10 prints or less. 18" x 18" with borders for framing. I'm going to get this done in the next 3 weeks... process photos will be posted here, twitter, and flickr.

EPIC WEEKEND

2009-06-14T21:08:00.004-05:00

Good times were had by all this weekend at Los Vesparados and Sweet Hair art shows. I haven't stayed out that late in a loooooong time, which is kinda sad. So fun! Check out the pics I snapped during the riotous merriment.

An interesting discussion...

2009-06-14T16:37:00.007-05:00

This is an essay I posted in response to an article called Prude or Professional? by Courtney Remes regarding an inappropriate presentation at this year's Flashbelt conference. Read that article here.

I'd like to start by saying that I am a young graphic designer with 3 years of professional experience. I did my graphic design senior project on the subject of feminism, when I was afraid I'd be spending my career in a boy's club. While I realize this is not much, I am compelled to share my thoughts on this subject.

Upon reading this post and the original article, I was very much appalled. However, I can't say that Hoss's bit is completely irrelevant. In poor taste, ABSOLUTELY. But it certainly does represent a market segment. As designers and developers, we work to execute the goals of defined market segments. As individuals, we choose which market segments apply to us and filter the content we view accordingly.

The history of media platforms coincides with the history of sexism, civil rights, equality, feminism, etc. While we as a society are still sorting out these issues, so are our media platforms. The Internet is the newest form and distributor of media, and also the largest anyone has ever seen. Therefor, we have millions of sites tailored to millions of different niche markets, globally. This presentation undeniably represents a large one of those markets: pornography. While the content of the presentation was base, to say the very least, I can't deny that it is nonetheless valid in the grand spectrum of the web, which was born out of the 90's - still a hugely sexist time - where it was accepted on a grand scale that technology was a "guy thing."

Read the rest...
It doesn't surprise me (now, although it did at the time I graduated college), that the most knowledgeable and experienced male designers and developers may have this mentality. I recall the Art of the Book event in 2006 when Milton Glaser made a controversial remark regarding why there weren't as many superstar women designers as men. In this case, the very essence of the remark caused a massive explosion of comments and replies to posts. The truth of the matter was that it was not a lack of women in the field, but a perceived (or imagined?) lack of respect or public recognition.

While the senior-level individuals in the industry may have this mentality and affectively influence younger generations, the young women know it's bullshit. We no longer feel that the gender struggles of our mothers (mine is a baby boomer) apply to us, or rather, have to apply to us. This is very important, because we will teach our children or our young students not to perpetuate myths.

But back to the presentation. Again, I believe it was in poor taste and its contents were totally base, tactless, and not terribly innovative. It's not something I would have been OK with having paid to see. But the larger question in my mind is about censorship. I believe it would have been nice, even necessary, to have censored Hoss's presentation at the conference. Perhaps he would have been better suited to speak at a conference of web developers for the porn industry (as subtlety is certainly not his thing). However, his aesthetic and moral preferences do have a place on the giant Internet, which should never be censored. Censoring factions of the web would would go against it's very principles as the global information network.

A beautiful new lantern!

2009-06-12T15:01:00.004-05:00

I'm super proud of this one. It's made with sturdy 100# cover stock, spraypainted on both sides with metallic gold. It stands 11" tall. Someone should totally buy this... that's it, I'm posting on Etsy.

No. 6 — now with more leather (rings)

2009-06-08T16:32:00.004-05:00

Enameled leather rings, available soon from my Etsy shop. More shapes and color combos to come!

No. 6 — Wearable Graphic Art

2009-06-06T18:58:00.003-05:00

The paper lanterns lead to another obsessive idea: wearable paper pieces. This on is a medallion. It's got a tribal, art deco thing goin' on, and I think I like it. Hair accessories are in the works as well, to be sold on Etsy. Yay, paper!

Oh, did I mention how AWESOME gold spray paint is? I've been harboring a secret crush for years...

Dude, there's a monkey...

2009-06-04T19:49:00.003-05:00

...on your back.

I'm not really sure why I made this, but it's funny, eh?

Sweet Hair poster: PRINTED

2009-05-30T14:02:00.005-05:00

Busted this mother out yesterday. And now, with sore muscles, I say to you: Come to the Sweet Hair Poster Show!

W H E N : Saturday, June 13th 7-10 pm
W H E R E : Art Minion (1828 NE Marshall St, Mpls, MN 55418

It's sponsored by Surly Brewing Co. (mmm...beer...) so there will be brewskies! And it's for a good cause: proceeds go to Locks of Love. Come one, come all, get shitty, buy some art, get all your hair cut off and request that it be made into a wicked pompadour wig or something. This is gonna be great.

More lanterns... is this marketable?

2009-05-28T13:22:00.005-05:00

I bought some wood-grain Con-Tact paper on impulse from the hardware store a few months ago, and I've finally found a use for it! So far I've made 4 lanterns with it. 3 hang from the ceiling, and one is holding some dried flowers on my kitchen table. Personally, I think it's super fantastic. But would you buy this if I put it up on Etsy (for cheap)? Like, in sets of 2 pieces (1 hanging lantern and a smaller matching vase/pencil holder one?) Hmmm??

No. 5 — Paper Lanterns! FUN!

2009-05-25T21:39:00.004-05:00

Paper is fuuuuun! Last week I saw some of these things decorating the window of a paper store. I had to make them! Plus, what else are you gonna do in Iowa? These amazing, cheap decorations are truly underrated.

No. 4 — Tableaus at Home

2009-05-19T23:19:00.005-05:00

Here's something about me y'all should know: I collect shit. Cute shit. Charming, adorable, shiny, laquered shit. And I arrange it all over my house. Can't help it. My friends made fun of me at our last BBQ because I was arranging the condiments, like there was gonna be some kind of Trader Joe's photo shoot.

Needless to say, this blog has become a convenient outlet for my neurotic tendencies! Onward, to more arrangements!

Sweet Hair Continues...

2009-05-15T10:05:00.002-05:00

I just finished my first draft. Gotta add a missing letter to this one, then make sure to exhaust all creative possibilities before I pick the final.

This one would look cool with metallic gold & chocolate brown on off-white stock, yeah?

Sweet Hair BEGINS!

2009-05-14T12:53:00.005-05:00

Oh man. It is SO on. With just over 2 weeks to the due date, I have sparked the fire under my own ass to bust this poster out. Perhaps that was worded strangely, but you get my drift. These sketches are just the beginning of something awesome. Remember that poem by Shel Silverstein called "My Beard" from Where The Sidewalk Ends? If not, it goes like this:

My beard grows down to my toes,
I never wears no clothes,
I wraps my hair
Around my bare,
And down the road I goes.

...so cute, right?! This poem was my favorite as a kid, and I can't wait to incorporate it into a poster design. The hair-type from the sketch will spell out the words. A large bearded-man image may be overprinted. (BTW, the guy in the sketch resembles my dad during the late 70's...yay dads!) Check back for design updates, or just come to the poster show!

No. 3 — Owl Casting Progress

2009-05-13T17:01:00.003-05:00

Here be the progress. 3 owls out of one mold... not terrible. At this point, however, I have determined that new materials are needed. Plaster of Paris is all chalky and brittle (again, a situation where you get what you pay for... have I taught myself nothing?!) and this Moulage stuff is too flexible and doesn't last long. An upgrade is in the works.

One thing that does rock socks, though, is the enamel colors I picked. They are so rich! Mmmmm...enamel colors...

Next order of business: figure out how they will hang on a wall. Back to the hardware store. On that note, I think I may be falling in love with the hardware store...lately we've been spending a lot of time together.

No. 3 — Owl Casting

2009-05-09T18:57:00.004-05:00

Wow, can you believe it? Another 2-day project?! How do I manage this?

The answer is simple: I am neurotic. When convinced an idea is sweet, truly sweet, I will stop at nothing to see it happen. Currently I am convinced that I can reproduce my favorite vintage owl-wall-thingy via Plaster of Paris and a lovely compound called Moulage. I may be wrong. I may fail horribly. But that is the fun of it!

Check back to see how it turns out. If this one ends up rockin' socks, I'll start mass producing and selling to people like you—yes, you!—on Etsy.

Dedicated to the one I love...

2009-05-06T16:37:00.004-05:00

Here's a banner I made for my bf's blog, "The Future is Now." He'll post it if he knows what's good for him...

muahahahaha!

New Website - In Progress

2009-05-01T20:19:00.004-05:00

Over the past few months I've been learning Flash, which I've come know more intimately as the Devil's Program. It's hard, man. Once you think you've solved all the problems, there's a truckload more awaiting you. This image is what my new web page is supposed to look like, but doesn't yet, for reasons I haven't yet uncovered. If you visit the page now, it has no background and the footer is displaced. Soon, though. Sooooooon...

Dress Form FAIL

2009-04-26T13:49:00.005-05:00

Balls. This did not work out AT ALL. First off, I discovered that the tape I bought was only partially sticky, as in the adhesive only covered half the width of the tape. WTF?! I cannot imagine a possible use for half-sticky tape! Secondly, the directions I used didn't mention that the wrap-ee needed to wear a long t-shirt, so when my lovely assistant and I tried to cut me loose, the whole bottom part just fell off.

So much for that. I guess the "you get what you pay for" principle can pretty much be applied to everything. Looks like I'll be saving up for something decent.

Booooo.

Weekend Project: Cloning

2009-04-23T17:32:00.005-05:00

That's right, I'm making a clone of my body. In duct tape and papier mâché! I've decided to start sewing again, and nice dress forms are wicked spendy. Srsly. This morning I went to this site and found out just how to do it on the cheap. If it works out, I'll post pics!

Los Vesparados Poster: DESIGNED!

2009-04-15T02:57:00.005-05:00

...This is IT, people! I nailed it! Literally finished this 5 minutes ago!

While the rest of the world slumbers, I am clickity-clicking my mouse and designing with bulging eyes and my tongue hanging out like a Chuck Jones character. Kidding (sort of).

This piece is scheduled to be produced and ready by this Sunday. It will be 2 colors, ~~18" x 18".~~ 15" x 15"

Outfit Project...maybe?

2009-04-14T09:52:00.004-05:00

Getting dressed sometimes feels like a project in itself. Maybe that's because I'm a perfectionist. Anyway, after I put on this outfit I totally felt like that girl-joker character in Batman the Animated Series. Don't hate, people, because I know some of you watched it after school on regular TV. Those of us deprived of cable in our formative years had limited options... (her name is Harley Quinn by the way. L-A-M-E...)

Jeremy Messersmith Poster: DONE

2009-04-14T09:44:00.003-05:00

This just in: Messersmith poster DONE. See photos of the printing process on my Flickr page. Yessssssss....

Los Vesparados...

2009-04-09T09:51:00.004-05:00

I don't know about you, but I just love second-guessing myself. You have got to try it sometime! I mean, what a rush!

Okay, that was some heavy sarcasm. Seriously now, I've decided to go a different direction with my L.V. poster. This time I'm thinking all-over pattern, fuzzy monsters, and total cuteness. Soon, my darlings...You'll see.

Jeremy Messersmith Poster

2009-04-09T09:34:00.006-05:00

Let it be known that Minneapolis-based musician Jeremy Messersmith is a super cool dude. He asked me to do a poster for his upcoming show...and it could look however I wanted! That's rare, man. I cherish these times. Check back for more photos of the production process (I know, you're holding your breath...)

On another note, where can a gal find Zipitone these days? Has all of it vanished off the face of the earth? The closest I've come is some old letraset sheets of line and dot-screens. Although I made some perfectly radical halftone patterns in Photoshop, I just want to be old school. Give a proper shout-out to the g'dads and g'mas of Graphic Design Past, you know?

Los Vesparados Poster

2009-03-31T17:55:00.006-05:00

↑ option A

↑ option B

...Which would you choose?

I'm having trouble deciding which direction to go with my poster for the upcoming Los Vesparados poster show. I like the idea of mods vs rockers, and my piece is like a anti-war poster/homage to that era. Or would it be an anti-rumble poster? 'Cause kids were having rumbles back then? Or a pro-rumble poster, cause it's all like "Scooters are better!"

Yikes. Thoughts?

Y ☯ G A

2009-03-03T14:05:00.003-06:00

Yeah, No. 2 is temporarily on the back burner. I've been busy doing some intense screenprinting for the Gospel Gossip and I just need to relax. Ommmmm...

No. 2 — Minneapolis Postcards

2009-02-19T22:22:00.003-06:00

Day 1 — Develop a list of meaningful places and/or activities in Minneapolis.

Day 2 — Make a set of 5 different postcards.

Submit documentation by 12:00 am on Monday, 2/23/09.

No. 1 — Process & Final Design

2009-02-19T13:26:00.003-06:00

↑ This is the final design.

↑ These are elements of the process.

First, I tried sketching out fancy letters (fig. a). That proved to be much harder than I thought. All my letters were looking really cartoony, and the composition was not unified. So I dug through my pile of photocopied typefaces and found one (fig. b) that seemed to possess the archaic qualities of the language. After making a typographic composition that worked, I thought: why not combine it with some images (fig. c & d)? Both were ambiguous enough to be this blowsy doxy character. One seemed to relate more to the type, and so i was done. (Thunderous applause…)

No. 1 — Progress

2009-02-18T09:27:00.000-06:00

Last night was a visit to the Walker public library. I picked out 4 random paperbacks from the romance section and started flipping through the pages. I recorded whatever caught my eye, which, for the most part, wasn't very exciting. There were a few gems, though, that made me laugh out loud (to the dismay of the old man who had taken a seat across from me). Here are the highlights:

"God's bowels! Where are you?"
-
A blowsy doxy flitted about in dishabille.
-
Her eyes brightened with the thrill of conspiracy. "Can I puke?"
-
There was no bed. "Where the devil is the bed?"

Some better than others, of course, but on the whole I'm pretty happy with these out of context. I needed a little help from the dictionary on the second one with all the archaic terms. Blowsy refers to various unbecoming aspects of a woman, namely untidiness and a red face. Doxy is another name for a prostitute. And finally (my fave), dishabille is the state of being scantily clad. Who knew I would be getting a vocabulary lesson out of this?

No. 1 — Romance Novel Poster(s)

2009-02-17T16:42:00.000-06:00

Day 1—research/concept. Go to the library. Find romance novels. Record a list of memorable quotations.

Day 2—design/production. Using appropriate typography, make a poster or several that communicate romantic sentiments.

Submit documentation by 12:00 am on 2/19/08.

An Introduction…

2009-02-17T16:10:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the center for thing-making. The objective: Produce, produce, produce! Fight boredom and self-loathing by entertaining yourself (and hopefully others, too). Pulling from a list of pre-recorded ideas (not posted yet), produce a final object in 2 days. Comps are acceptable, but frowned upon. This is a blog of D-O-I-N-G-S!