cover therapy...

Music is for many, an inspiration all it's own. I know for myself, it's not only a passion it's the thin layer surrounding all of my work. Influencing it, whether I know it is or not. Even if I'm not even listening to it. It's there.

Art, design, and music have a long history together, I know, and I am often bowled over by beautiful cd packaging and LP covers. Secretly wanting to...er...lick it...it's so good! (Please tell me I'm not the only designer that feels this urge when they see great design!) But honestly, I haven't really been too impressed lately. Maybe it's just that I'm not looking hard enough or paying the right amount of attention. (Being poorish has a way of putting blinders on me.) So, I want to change this and offer to you today the first in what I hope to be a regular dialogue of great covers that are not only inspiring, but are just plane ol' "lickable"!

"So what, pray tell us, is the cover that spurred on this little rant?" It's the cover of The Walkmen album You & Me. Strong typography. Strong photography. I kind of don't want to mess it up with descriptive words that would only distract you from enjoying it. But I love it in every way. I'm doing a little detective work on the designer....and will update with my findings.

Question to the masses:
What covers have inspired you, lately?

“Are these things really better than the things I already have? Or am I just trained to be dissatisfied with what I have now? Am I just under a spell that says nothing is ever good enough?”
CHUCK PALAHNIUK
from Lullaby

“Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage."

C.S. LEWIS
from Mere Christianity

in the mean time...

Here's a sneak peak at what I've been working on the last few weeks - some shots from our Holiday catalog shoot. I've pretty much resigned myself to accepting that Christmas will always come two months early for me. Design. Retail. Publishing. I probably won't ever get away from it.

Downsides: stunted Christmas cheer, seeing the underbelly of the holiday as business, "Christmas...that's SO October!"
Upsides: First to know about cool stuff, endless tree decorating, anticipation, hot cocoa...
Serious Upside: More time for Christmas tunes. Yes, no shame, here.

yes it is...

portraits:::chelan

My dear friends were such good sports to let me take their portraits! I had decided before I left for Chelan that I was going to take each persons portrait, with the intent to create shots that were minimal, witty, slightly canned, and ironic - very deadpan. But in return, I was blessed with these pictures - which are much more raw and soulful than I could have ever tried to create on my own. Thinking about it now, I was probably trying to emulate someone's style that I'd seen and liked somewhere - I guess maybe I needed to just get it out of my system so that I could move on to the good stuff. I don't know, but I do know that these are only the beginning... {ie. what folks in the industry like to call..."the tip of the iceburg."}

Well, I have been frantically trying to finish up editing the photos from this weekend away - there are some real gems! - and will have them up on my flikr page shortly, but I couldn't resist sharing a sneak peak.

Today my co-worker Liza passed along this link to a great project that AIGA put together to get designers involved in promoting the importance of being a part of this year's election. I have posted some of my favorites - but this is only a taste, my friend! - there are some 255 submissions so far and many of them are not only beautiful, but also smart and impacting as well. Seeing these posters (which you can also download and print out at the link above) reminded me that while I may not directly affect policy in this country, I do carry a responsibility as a image maker and visual communicator. Think about it - the flag, the statue of liberty, the monuments - all designed by the artists/designers/Betty Ross's/Maya Lin's at some point to ignite and inform a distinct American visual identity.

I encourage everyone to check out these posters, print out a couple, post them, and not only be a part of getting the vote out in November, but of informing visual culture as well! Also, if you are in Seattle, 24 of these posters will be on display as part of the Ballard Artwalk on Saturday, October 11th- find out all the info here.

(PS. I could go on and on about this year's political spectacle, but I will spare you all the exciting details. But if you perchance are as interested as I am about making an informed decision this year, I would encourage you to check out a couple of sites I checked out this week: Don Miller's blog, his recent posts this week have been regarding his involvement in the Obama campaign. Also there, you will find this link which seeks to answer a lot of the fears many christians may have about Barack Obama - I would urge you to check it out - do the research and see where it may lead you. A little scary, I know...but trust me on this one.)

" The answer must be, I think, that beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them. The least we can do is try to be there."
-ANNIE DILLARD-
from Heavan & Earth in P@TC

"Your love is better than life...my soul will
be satisfied as with the richest of foods."
psalm 63:5-6

on today's forecast...