The Artful Hippo

Times Are A-Changing

2010-06-21T20:37:00.006-07:00

So, understandably, most of you have probably forgotten that this blog exists – I think I might have even forgotten for a while! Yet, alas, the changing of the season (and many far more significant changes) has inspired me to return to the blogosphere and resume my once regular updates of the goings-on in my life.

Where to begin?

I’ve finally joined the ranks of real world professionals – I got a full-time job! And better yet, it’s in my field – using both of my degrees! Today marked my first day of employment as a Production Designer at Tiny Prints, Inc., a web-based card retailer that specializes in announcements, invitations and greeting cards. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am about this job! The company is pretty young, they launched in 2004, but they’ve had incredibly impressive success in the last six years. They’re based out of Mountain View, CA and they just opened a new office in Tempe on June 1, so everyone is either new to the valley or new to Tiny Prints, which makes it a pretty interesting time to join the team since we’re all transitioning together. The product line is amazing and almost entirely developed by contract freelance designers, so the company itself has very little creative involvement on that end, but they encourage employees to share their own work. My position as a Production Designer is more of an editing position, so after a customer submits his/her card, I edit the text, photos, and layout to guarantee that everything is as close to perfection as possible, and then we send it off to printing. Beyond being totally impressed with both their product and success, the company promotes a family-like culture that I am honored and excited to be a part of. Everyone seems to genuinely love working for Tiny Prints and it was even chosen as one of the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times! I feel like I’m writing a press release for them, but I’m just so thrilled that I found such a wonderful place to work! Seriously, check out the website, and tell me that you don’t love them, too! And family and friends, there’s a discount in it for you, too!

Here's some samples of their work:

My first day of work was great. There is one other girl who was hired as a Production Designer and she and I will be in training for the next two weeks, learning about company standards and quality assurance and everything we need to know to be awesome at our new jobs. Today was very introductory – we filled out lots of paperwork, met the other people in our department (there are only 7 right now in Tempe), and started with our training. Also, there’s no dress code so I can wear jeans and flip-flops to work everyday! Amazing!

Obviously, my various other activities took a hit since I’m now occupied Monday-Friday from 9-6. I had to end my internship at the Children’s Museum, although I’ll still volunteer there when I have some time. I tried to stay on at Anthropologie but I just can’t commit enough hours and summers are very slow here since no one wants to visit the 120° weather. I haven’t figured out what will happen with Free Arts, but that will be the most disappointing activity to lose because I so look forward to seeing the kids each week. My partner and I both stayed on through summer so we’ve been with the same kids since January and I really don’t want to leave them!

That’s enough of an update for now, but I still have lots to share so I’ll be back soon! Happy summer everyone!

New Year Update

2010-02-18T15:43:00.009-07:00

Ok, so my new year's hiatus lasted a bit longer than I intended... I started watching HBO's former series The Wire and, well, all I can tell you of the last month and a half is that I've learned to never trust a politician, news writer, police officer, lawyer, dock worker, or drug dealer. Great show!

Anyways, now that I've re-emerged into the real world, I have quite a few updates. I recently designed a logo for my parents and brother's newly formed real estate team:

So if you're looking to buy property in this beautiful state (and why wouldn't you? It's 75 degrees of gorgeous sunshine right now!) they're the team to call. Plus, they're great people.

I've also resumed my position as a mentor at Free Arts of Arizona. My partner Kyla and I are working with kids aged 5-11 and so far it's been a blast! I love this age group, they're still excited about playing with glitter and pipe cleaners and nothing is totally lame yet. Last week we made valentines, tissue paper flowers for Mom, and candy rings:

I've been busy at work at the Children's Museum, which I'm loving more and more each day - I even got to write a few grant requests this week! We've been preparing for months for a huge gala that is finally upon us! This Saturday night adults will take over the museum and play and explore like kids, and I'll get to partake in the festivities as a grateful volunteer. I'll post some pictures after the big event.

Speaking of work, I'm finally returning to work at Anthropologie this weekend and I'm very excited to be back on the job. While I really, really love all of the volunteering/interning I'm doing, I can't help but long for the ca-ching of a paycheck every now and then.

And lastly, I lost a great member of the family this week when we put down our beloved Wheaten Terrier, Bailey. Bays was my first great companion when we moved to Arizona, and I'll greatly miss our pool races and cuddle sessions. Unfortunately, age finally got the best of him and after fourteen great years we had to say goodbye. Unbelievably, I don't have a single picture of him on my computer (I lost them all in the great crash of '07), but here's a drawing I made of him a few summers ago:

RIP Bailey boy, I'm sure you're having a great time in doggy heaven with Rocky and Reggie.

So, that's my update for now. I'm trying to get back to work on some personal projects, one of which is staying on top of this blog so that I can keep my devoted readers entertained (that's you, Grandma Bebby). Hopefully I'll have some new artwork to post soon, and until then, enjoy one of my favorite hippo sketch studies:

Season's Cheer

2009-12-24T11:06:00.003-07:00

Image courtesy of Anthropologie

Season's Greetings! As many of you may know, I had my surgery a week ago yesterday and it was a huge success! Since then I have been walking, sitting, driving, and bending with ease (comparatively) and my road to recovery just gets smoother every day. I'm thoroughly enjoying my return to functioning life and I'm looking forward to a busy week packed with Hanukkah parties, a bridal shower, and New Year's Eve in Las Vegas! So, while I probably won't post again until 2010, I'm moving into the new year with great spirits and you can expect to hear a lot more from me soon! Happy Holidays!

Surgery!

2009-12-10T17:15:00.004-07:00

I never would have imagined I could be so excited about having a surgery! As I mentioned before, my surgery has been set for December 21st and I have idly been counting down the days. My parents and I had the faint hope that maybe I could be squeezed in on the 14th or 15th (the doctor only operates on Mondays and Tuesdays), yet each time we called to check on my status, the scheduling ladies had the same response: "Sorry, no changes. If something opens up we'll let you know." Because I'm on blood thinners, I need at least 5 days notice before the surgery to tend to my medications, so as yesterday and today rolled by, I finally resigned myself to the fact that surgery could come no sooner than the 21st.

Until now.

The scheduling ladies just called and said Wednesday, December 16th is available and I'm on the schedule! FIVE DAYS sooner than expected! FIVE DAYS from today! And absolutely right on time. I know 5 days doesn't sound like much, and if I had to wait those extra 5 days I would, without complaint. But cutting 5 days from my sentence feels like adding a year onto my life right at this moment! I've been on my back for eight weeks - yes, EIGHT WEEKS! I can barely remember what it feels like to sit down at a table to eat a meal, let alone sleep comfortably on my stomach (or at all, for that matter) or stand up for longer than 10 minutes. I am ecstatic that my surgery and the rest of my life are only 5 days away.

And, as an added bonus, I'll be able to attend my brother's holiday party on the 19th in an upright position instead of chaining myself to the couch for the night. Oh happy day!

Illustrated Gift Tags

2009-12-05T14:37:00.004-07:00

My good friend, Brooke, is a very talented fashion illustrator and she features her work on her blog and Etsy page. Her most recent product is available just in time for the holidays - lovely, illustrated holiday gift tags!

Also, be sure to check out her Fabulous Tags and Lined Lady Tags! Keep up the great work, Brooke!

Hippo Discoveries

2009-11-29T10:36:00.007-07:00

In the spirit of loving all things hippo, and as a reminder that this blog is not, in fact, just a platform to keep people updated on my injury/illness status, I'm going to share some lovely hippo art that I've recently discovered!

This first find, adorable hippo greeting cards titled "The Cavorting Hippo," is from Vancouver-based illustrator Rebekah Joy Plett. I'm in love with the line drawing of the hippo beside all of the cards! This pack can be purchased at Rebekah's Etsy shop and 10% of the profits go to a local children's organization. I plan on purchasing a pack to frame and put up in my studio!

The other interesting hippo art I found is from my own employer, Anthropologie! This Flip-Flop Hippo is made entirely from rubber sandals that have washed up on the shores on Kenya and it sells for a whopping $298! I'm not sure I'd use it to decorate my own house, but I'm thrilled that the creators chose to feature my beloved hippo.

The Incredible Future of Technology

2009-11-28T10:22:00.007-07:00

Hi Everyone! I know I haven't written in a while, but I've been home from the hospital since the day after my last post and I finally have a surgery date - December 21 - so I know when I'll finally be able to join the real world again!! I haven't been writing because I feel like I haven't had much to say - my pain is still pretty much the same as it's been for the past 6 weeks and I've been working on building a tolerance so that I can stand and walk for longer periods of time. Most of my time is still spent lying on my back, but now I get to go out on little field trips so I can go shopping for an hour or pick up my brother from the airport (riding in the backseat, lying down, of course). I've been busy knitting hats and scarves (pretty much all I know how to knit), watching lots of TV, and re-reading Harry Potter for the billionth time, so I'm keeping pretty positive and happy for the most part. However, the reason for this post was not to ramble on about myself, it was to share a very interesting video that I discovered about the future of technology.

This video features the genius Pranav Mistry as he demos and discusses his latest invention, SixthSense technology. It is absolutely astounding! In my wildest dreams I never could have foreseen technology becoming this interactive and accessible. And, though I've always dreamed that I could capture a picture with just the blink of an eye, I never thought we'd come this close... Imagine how this technology could change the world!

Update Take 2: My Hospital Adventure

2009-11-09T07:06:00.007-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since I last updated everyone on my condition! A LOT has changed, and not so much for the better, so let me get you caught up... After I last wrote, I got an MRI that night and learned that I have a HUGE herniation in my S1 disc - and I mean HUGE! All of the doctors who have looked at it agree that it is enormous and most recommended surgery to most successfully correct the problem. When I first heard this news, I was pretty upset, especially since I'm young, active, and have every intention of using my spinal cord and its discs for a long time to come! However, the next day I went to meet with the orthopedic surgeon and he explained to me (via a slew of comical metaphors) what exactly will take place in the procedure and how it will relieve my pain: It is a microscopic discectomy where they make a very small incision in my back, remove the part of the disc that is pressing on my nerves, and then sew a single internal stitch, leaving barely a mark on my skin. It's an outpatient surgery that takes only 45 minutes and the relief is said to be so instant that I can do backflips out of hospital! So, after hearing all of the details and weighing my options (wait for several more weeks, or maybe months, in extreme pain, and hope that the disc heals itself OR get this quick fix surgery) I opted for the surgery and scheduled it for Tuesday, November 10, 2 weeks from the date that I met with the surgeon. I would have scheduled the surgery for the day after I met the surgeon if I could have, but he was leaving town and couldn't fit me in that quickly, so I grudgingly accepted that I'd have to lie around for another 2 weeks (remember, I'd already been on my back for over a week at this point). In the meantime, I scheduled an epidural injection in an attempt to shrink the disc and hopefully find some relief, even if it was just temporary...

Wednesday, October 28, the day after I met with the surgeon, I had my epidural. I woke up that morning in a tremendous amount of pain. I couldn't stand long enough to put toothpaste on my toothbrush, and I was losing tolerance for the pain and my inactivity. I went into the procedure with high hopes that things would be different on the other end, but I was definitely not prepared for the injection. They sedated me as soon as I got on the table, so for about 30 seconds I was doing great, and then the shots started and I have never felt that much pain in my life. All of the pain I'd been feeling already was intensified as they were sticking needles right into my tender nerves and my body just freaked out. When they were done with the injections (I don't know how many shots there were, it felt like at least 5) I was shaking uncontrollably and hyperventilating and I was pretty much a wreck, but they gave me some more drugs and laid me down until I could recover from the shock of the pain and then, miraculously, I felt nothing! I could sit up straight and I could stand with no pain and I thought, maybe that was worth it after all! And then about an hour later the numbing medicine wore off and the pain meds wore off and I was in the same pain I'd been in when I woke up and my spirits sank. With epidural injections it can take up to 10 days for the steroids to have their full effect, and so I waited, still on my back, still unable to stand, sit or walk, hoping with each new day that the relief would come... and it never did. I could move around a little better than the days leading up to the procedure, but I still couldn't walk for more than 3 minutes and I still couldn't sit at the dinner table to eat my meals. However, my surgery was scheduled and I had a date to look forward to when I knew I'd feel relief.

Wednesday morning, with less than a week to go before surgery, I woke up with a strange pain in my right shoulder, chest, and ribs. I thought I had just slept funny and tried icing my shoulder, hoping the soreness would go away. Instead, as seems to be the trend with my body lately, it got progressively worse throughout the day. By Wednesday night when I was trying to go to bed, my chest felt constricted and I was having trouble taking deep breaths. I thought if I could just fall asleep, maybe I'd wake up and feel better, but I couldn't fall asleep. By 3am I was really starting to get aggravated and I had already had a fit of hyperventilating, so I woke my parents and told them I was worried about the new pains and the breathing issue. They tried to calm me down, thinking maybe it was just a panic attack and I was anxious about the upcoming surgery, but after another hour we finally decided it was time to go to the hospital, so at 4am on Thursday morning, I took a trip to the ER.

At the hospital they ran a bunch of tests and told me it was probably nothing, but I was still in pain and having trouble breathing. They tried giving me pain meds to make me comfortable but nothing was working. They gave me morphine three times and it had no effect on me! So we waited as they poked at me and scanned me and finally, they diagnosed me: I have several small blood clots all over my lungs - pulmonary embolisms! Now things are pretty serious. I was admitted to the hospital and they finally found a pain medicine that I react to. The first day they drew my blood every two hours to check its thickness, and now my right arm could embarrass a junkie. Since blood clots are much more serious than herniated discs, the surgery that I was so looking forward to has been pushed back at least 30 days. I'm on two blood thinners, benadryl (because the pain meds make me itch), and stool softener (because I haven't pooed since I've been in the hospital... in case you were curious). But really, after the initial shock of the diagnosis and learning that I'd need to stay in the hospital for almost a week, things are not so bad. Once we put the blood clots into perspective I realized how lucky it was that I came to the ER. Had I gone to surgery as planned, with no one knowing about the clots, there could have been terrible complications. Now I just need to treat one health problem at a time and keep trying to get back on my feet!

The hospital itself hasn't been so bad, either. I have a nice big private room and someone from my family is here almost all time. We hooked up our Wii to my TV and we've been playing everything from Family Feud and Trivial Pursuit to Mario Kart. My cousin decorated the room with pictures and I've gotten some beautiful flowers that brighten the room and all of the nurses comment on how great it smells in here! I've got my computer with me so I can watch movies and play games, and there's a whole staff of people waiting on me at the press of a button to bring me food or ice or medicine as I need it! Things could be worse! haha... I'm supposed to be discharged tomorrow, pending the results of a few more tests. Other than that, I'm back to taking this one day at a time...

So that's the update, sorry I couldn't give you happier news but I'm in good spirits so you shouldn't worry about me! Thanks for all the well wishes! I hope you're all happy and healthy!

Update

2009-10-26T09:01:00.002-07:00

Hello blogging world, it's time for a major update! I have been suffering from a back injury, what is thought to be a bulging or herniated disc, for well over a month and a half. For the most part, I've been able to function despite the pain which pinches my sciatic nerve running down my left buttock and leg, but about a week ago things took a major downward spiral and since last Sunday I've been flat on my back 24/7. I have visited several doctors, including a physical therapist, my family doctor, and even a rolfer, yet I have found little relief. Today I'm going to see someone about an MRI and the possibility of epidural injections in my spine, which seems to be the next logical step and hopefully it will get me back on my feet. Needless to say, I'm going crazy just lying here. I've watched just about every episode of Law & Order ever aired, and every other crappy thing on TV. I can't sit up, so I haven't eaten a meal at a table in over a week, let alone do something productive like read, draw, or knit - it's even been difficult for me to use my computer because the position is so uncomfortable (which explains the lack of blogging). I'm anxious to get back to work, seeing as all of my positions are fairly recent and this feels like a terrible reflection of my dedication to call in "sick" so frequently. I have my Romeo and an ice pack by my side for comfort, but my patience is running very thin and apparently my only option is wait for this thing to run its course and heal itself. I hope you're all doing well, and for anyone who has ever experienced this before, I feel your pain (quite literally).

Wish me luck in my recovery and in the meantime, check out this awesome faux Polaroid program, Poladroid, and admire the handsomeness that is my Romeo!

Baby Bliss

2009-10-12T20:30:00.006-07:00

I was searching for some knitting patterns today when I stumbled across Lillebarn's Etsy shop where I found the most amazingly adorable knits for babies. Now I just need to find a baby to make one of these hats for! Try to resist this deliciousness!:

Lilliebarn also has a blog! Check it out to find out how you can get your hands on some of these precious knits.

Fall Frenzy

2009-10-09T17:32:00.006-07:00

Fall is in the air and I'm officially feeling swept away! There's the excitement of baseball and Halloween and winter clothes on the horizon, and I'm in love with it all. I'm going to make yummy fall treats tonight and kick back with some warm cider, even though it's not exactly cold here in Arizona! Here are some deliciously wonderful fall pictures that are guaranteed to get you in the spirit of the season!

2009-10-06T12:08:00.003-07:00

I have very good reason to believe that the Apple Store near me (Scottsdale Quarter) is magic. I went in there on Friday with my ipod, which wouldn't sync or charge when plugged in to my computer, and when I brought it to the counter at the Apple store, it miraculously worked! Sure, it might have just been my computer or maybe the USB port I was using, but all the same, it didn't work before I entered the store, and it worked perfectly once I walked inside... And then my computer wouldn't work. Since Saturday, my screen has been black and I was convinced that my logic board had died (again!) and I had to wait until Monday night to see a Genius at the Apple store. Well, what do you know?! - When i brought it to the counter, it turned on without a hitch and was running flawlessly! I mean, one time could have been a coincidence, but twice in 3 days? Please, I know magic when I see it! This little story also explains why I haven't updated in a few days, but now that all of my electronics are working properly again, I can resume with my daily (or weekly) updates.

Today is a very exciting day for me. It's officially my first day at Anthropologie! I had a training session on Sunday where I met some of my new co-workers and learned the rules and ideals of the company, but today I actually get to work the sales floor! On Sunday my trainer summarized working at Anthro as mostly playing dress up with adults. I get to help women find outfits that not only look good but also make them feel good... and the clothes are awesome. I'll still be doing freelance work on the side, but it is comforting to know that I'll also be getting regular paychecks.

Tomorrow I have my first real day at the Children's Museum of Phoenix, as well. I'm starting an internship there in the Development department where I'll be learning all about the inner workings of a non-profit organization, as well as learning how to budget and write grants. I went on an in-depth tour of the museum yesterday and I was completely blown away. The museum is housed in the old Monroe Elementary School Building, originally built in 1913, where Jackson Pollock was once a student. The building is now a historical landmark, so the museum needs to abide by very strict rules when installing exhibits and restoring the building. There are at least a dozen spacious rooms that are still unused because they are not up to code yet, but there are plans and ideas for new exhibits once the rooms are ready. The museum has only been open for a little over a year, so it is in a constant state of renovation and reinvention, but none of that is noticeable because the active exhibits are so incredible. There is a "marketplace" that puts Easy-Bake Ovens and Fisher Price Kitchen Sets to shame. Kids can shop for foods (all fake, of course) in the market, go through the grocery check out, and then move into the next room where they can prepare meals on a variety of play ovens, including a brick stove! There's also a Noodle Forest with over 4,000 hanging foam noodles (like the ones for the pool), a Grand Ball Room with ramps and traps to watch chain reactions, and they're building a 3-story Climber from recycled materials! I can't wait to start working in this playful and energetic environment!

Book Reviews and Book Club

2009-10-01T13:56:00.005-07:00

I'm so sorry for the week+ blogging hiatus! I wish I had some elaborate story to excuse my absence, but unfortunately it was just laziness and a lack of motivation that kept me away from the keyboard. But no worries, I'm back on track now, and ready to implement a few new things to the blog, starting with a book review. As many of you may know, I'm an avid reader and I love sharing my reading experiences with friends, so I've decided to include regular book reviews of what I'm reading, be it fiction, non-fiction, classic, contemporary, adult, children's... you get the idea.

I've just finished two books in the last few weeks and they'll be my first two reviews: Ayn Rand's classic The Fountainhead and The View from Mount Joy by Lorna Landvik.

I was never assigned The Fountainhead in any of my high school or college English classes, so I recently decided to pick it up on my own and see what all the fuss was about. It was immediately obvious that this book is not for light readers, both because of its bulk (750+ pages) and its author, Ayn Rand, who is known for her complex philosophical writing. The Fountainhead, originally published in 1943, follows the careers of four men: Peter Keating, Ellsworth Toohey, Gail Wynand and Howard Roark and their various experiences and perceptions of "success."

It took me a while (probably a few hundred pages) to really get into the text, and initially I found all of the characters utterly unlikable. Rand writes with a heavy philosophical hand, and the text and characters are very elitist, to the extent that the reader feels alienated and often insulted by the book's attitude about "the masses," aka non-socialites. However, as I continued reading, I could not help but admire Rand for her obvious brilliance and ability to break down the complexity of Objectivism and make it accessible to the layman. Ultimately, I found myself being drawn into this world that I couldn't quite identify with, and was unsure I wanted to identify with, and yet I was still intrigued to learn more about it. Perhaps that's what makes this book really remarkable. Most great novels are "great" because they allow the reader to connect with the characters and subject matter, thus aligning the reader with a particular character in hopes for his/her success (or failure, depending on the character). The Fountainhead encouraged me to read on despite my own beliefs and to open my mind to other theories about the ego, altruism, selfishness, and power. I most certainly don't agree with all of the philosophy The Fountainhead preaches, yet I can honestly say that it has made an indelible impact and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for some deep thinking and lots of reading.

After finishing The Fountainhead, I desperately needed to read something less intellectual and more fun, so I picked up Lorna Landvik's The View from Mount Joy and found it more than satisfactory. In a nutshell, Mount Joy is about how life doesn't always turn out as planned, but it can be pretty great anyway. Joe Andreson, the main character, is one of the most genuinely likable (and real!) characters I've read in a long time. A star athlete in high school, Joe has aspirations of playing pro hockey and dating the head cheerleader, Kristi Casey, yet when more than a few curveballs are thrown his way, he learns to deal with the unexpected (and sometimes tragic) with grace and dignity. Kristi, meanwhile, is a character we've all seen before - the manipulative pretty girl who knows how to get what she wants (think Reese Witherspoon in Election, or, more current, Quinn Fabray from TV's Glee). And yet, though we know her well, she is still surprising and entertaining, proving that Landvik can make even the most unlikable characters in this book of lovable people kind of, well, likable. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a light, enjoyable read. You'll laugh, you'll cry (I did), and you'll leave feeling satisfied.

I'm currently reading One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus, and if anyone would like to read along, I'd love to hear your comments and opinions! It can be like an unofficial book club, and I can include your comments in my review, or you can post them after I write the review. I'll even tag each post (at the bottom) with the title "book club" so that you can search for all relevant posts. Also, if you have any suggestions on books you'd like to read/think I should read/review, I'd love to know about them!

Alright, I think this post is lengthy enough. I'll continue with the updates tomorrow!

Jello Mold!

2009-09-22T12:45:00.002-07:00

Here is the fabulous (and delicious!) jello mold I made for Rosh Hashanah! My mom had an old jello mold that was 8" around, but I thought it was a little small so I went looking for another mold... we went to 4 stores (FOUR!) and the only mold I found was a brain shaped mold for Halloween! Apparently jello isn't as in demand as it used to be! Anyway, I ended up using the mold we already had and everything turned out wonderfully, as you can see below.

Brunch Hashanah was a huge success and we got to eat the leftovers for a few days, too!

Card Creations

2009-09-18T09:11:00.014-07:00

As promised, here is the final product for Lexy's business card. We decided that this photo is very representative of Lexy's work (she's been taking jumping pictures for longer than I can remember!) and it features a family (our friend Emylee and her husband, baby, parents and friends) and the beach and sunset... I mean, really, what more could you ask for in a picture except for a flying baby? Oh wait, there's one of those, too! So overall, the shot was perfect and we're both very excited to see how they look after printing. Here are some of the other concepts I presented:

It was really a lot of fun playing with her photography and getting to design a creative card, as opposed to some of the more business-y work I've been doing lately.

I also threw together a quick real estate ad for my parents yesterday:

So it was a busy day with a lot of designing and no growth in my bank account, but I get favors and freebies from my parents and Lexy all the time, so it was nice to be able to help them out.

Now I'm off to tackle my next challenge: a jello mold for Rosh Hashanah! Wish me luck! Shana Tova!

Phenomenal Photos

2009-09-17T18:33:00.004-07:00

The gorgeous work featured above comes courtesy of my best friend, Lexy Popa. I've spent the day creating a business card for her and admiring her beautiful photographs. I won't post any of the concepts just yet, but keep an eye out for the finished product and runner-up ideas, and in the meantime, check out more of Lexy's work on her website!

Paint Me A Picture

2009-09-14T17:53:00.005-07:00

Gorgeous images by London based photographer Iain Crawford. Check out his website for more truly awesome shots.

PHX Layers Round 1

2009-09-14T14:42:00.006-07:00

I competed in another round of PHX Layers yesterday and unfortunately, it didn't go quite as planned. For those of you who don't know, PHX Layers is a design contest where designers volley an image back and forth for six 30-minute rounds (3 turns each) manipulating, adding, and subtracting to each image. My qualifying round went pretty well, and I was able to use my skills as an illustrator to my advantage because it was pretty unique in a competition with designers who were mostly layering a lot of outside materials and throwing in filters and effects. However, yesterday my incredible slowness caught up with me, and I felt the major pressure of the 30-minute time limit. In my second round (image 4) I just ran out of time and threw a few things together and I didn't feel particularly proud of the work I put up. I was able to rally back in the final round, but I don't know if it will be enough to carry me into the next round. Check out my head-to-head with Jon Ashcroft at PHX Layers and vote for your favorite!

Below is a small preview of our 3 rounds (mine are on the right side):

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

I Want It

2009-09-12T22:15:00.003-07:00

My dream pet. Can't it just live in my backyard? I have a pool!

SeeSaw's Big Reveal

2009-09-11T17:27:00.005-07:00

It was a very exciting day at work today - SeeSaw officially posted their 2010 letterpress calendars online and, as one commenter noted, they're taking over the blogosphere! The girls have put many months of hard work into these calendars and it's really wonderful to be a part of such a beautiful (and hopefully outrageously successful) project. And if you think they look fantastic in pictures, let me tell you these don't even compare to how amazing they are in person. So, as any letterpress admirer will know, the best way to appreciate handmade work is to get your hands on it - which you can do by visiting SeeSaw's shoppe and purchasing one for yourself!

PS... Please don't be afraid to gush to me (or the girls) about how much you love their work!

Mosaic Masterpieces

2009-09-05T21:26:00.003-07:00

Morrine Maltzman, a very good family friend, just recently updated her website where she displays her absolutely gorgeous mosaic work. I've selected a few samples of her work, but you should really check it all out at M & M Mosaics!

Red Rocks

Spiral Table Top

Address Welcome

Comerica Park (aka Tiger Stadium)

Floral Mural

PS... She's available for commissions! Keep up the great work Morrine!

I Want These

2009-09-04T16:31:00.004-07:00

I just couldn't resist... I want both this baby and this dog... and I kind of want to be both of them, too. Look at those punims!

New Work, Old Work

2009-09-04T10:12:00.009-07:00

This has been a whirlwind of a week since returning from vacation! I got right back into the swing of things with three new projects on my plate: a redesign of my brother's business logo (he owns his own computer service company) and new business cards, business cards for a client, and business cards for my best friend who is an amazing photographer!

Here are some of my early ideas for my brother's logo:

Quiesco means "I rest" in Latin, which is what my brother wishes he could do all the time. I think breaking the word into two ("qui" and "esco") makes it makes it a bit easier to understand the pronunciation, and I like that "qui" and "esco" are also words in Italian, translating to "here" (as in location) and "I go" (as in exit/leave).

I also got my volunteer assignment for Free Arts of Arizona this week. For those of you who don't know, Free Arts is an incredible nonprofit organization that "sparks the creative spirit of abused, homeless, and at-risk children." I've returned to Free Arts after a 5+ year hiatus (because I was away at school) and I will once again be a volunteer mentor, something I have been looking forward to since I returned home. Once a week, for 14 weeks, I will be visiting a location and doing an art project with kids. I've been assigned to a group home with emotionally disturbed teenage girls, and I'm really excited about getting started! Last time I worked with Free Arts I was volunteering at Crisis Nursery, where most of the kids were under 5 years old, so the types of projects we could do were pretty limited. I'm excited to bring some challenges to these older girls and try to get them to enjoy the creative process as much as I do!

Speaking of the creative process, a few months ago I was working on a freelance project that I had found on craigslist. The project ended up falling through, which is part of the reason I don't trust anything on craigslist, but I thought I'd share the sketches I was working on. The client told me to draw a cow in a Superman pose, with Hamburger Helper hands and tennis shoes. I drew this:

The guy rejected it and told me that he was looking for something a cow with a bit more of a Superman physique (I thought mine was funnier, but whatever). So I sketched up this buff, rugged, militant cow:

And the guy said this was on the right track but still not what he was looking for. He told me he'd send me some samples of what he wanted (if he had samples, why did he need me in the first place?) and I never heard from him again! Oh well, I guess that's why I didn't produce any final art quality work for him. And I guess it wasn't a complete waste of time, because I have these funny cows to show for it!

Crystal Cove

2009-08-29T09:14:00.008-07:00

One of my favorite parts about where we stay in Newport is the proximity to Crystal Cove State Park, the historic site just below the cliff upon which our condo sits. The website does a better job describing it than I can, so here's a snippet about Crystal Cove's history:

Located in the heart of Crystal Cove State Park’s 3.5 miles of pristine coastline, the Historic District first developed as a South Seas movie set due to its seclusion and tropical aura. The community thrived and became beloved for its relaxed, friendly atmosphere and picturesque landscape; and in 1979, the Crystal Cove State Park Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Built as a seaside colony in the 1930’s & ‘40’s, Crystal Cove endures as a magical escape for visitors who appreciate the opportunity to experience California’s natural and architectural beauty, untouched by time.

Thanks to the efforts of the Crystal Cove Alliance, all of the original cottages are still standing today – spared from the hands of developers. Twenty-one cottages have already been authentically restored to reflect the era between 1935 and 1955, when the Cove evolved as a community.

The website is filled with beautiful pictures by J. Christopher Launi (some of which I've featured here) showing beach life in the past and the restored houses today.

My family and I walked down to Crystal Cove for dinner at the Beachcomber Cafe at sunset last night and I was able to take some pictures of my own. I really love looking at the rundown cottages that have yet to be restored and imagining the lives of their previous inhabitants. I imagine their lives to be something like a Beach Boys' music video with no worries or cares, just sun, sand, and California girls. :)

The Sun and The Beach and The Wind in My Hair

2009-08-23T17:07:00.016-07:00

We just arrived in Newport Beach, California and, as always, it is beautiful here! It's sunny and 76 degrees (which seriously beats the 100 degree yuckiness we left behind in Scottsdale) and I can't wait to hit the beach tomorrow! For those of you who don't know, every year my family takes a trip out to our timeshare at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas and we get to spend a week together on vacation. Sometimes we bring friends along, often we have other relatives stop in for a few days, and we all relax and enjoy the waning days of summer.

So, this morning all five of us set off in two fully packed cars, and with a relatively short and easy five hour drive we made it to our home for the next week. As usual, upon unpacking, we all immediately grabbed our computers because what is a vacation without technology? My parents snagged the only two plugs on the balcony (as you can see above), so I'm stuck inside writing from the couch where there is a beautiful view of the outstretching ocean.

I've recently begun brewing up a new idea for a story, and I'm hoping that this R & R week will help me bring all of the big pieces together and maybe I can even get to writing some of it soon! I'm not going to give too many details since it's just in the budding stages, but it's a children's picture book story, probably aimed at kids 4-6ish, and it's about reaching new heights. The idea came to me first visually, which was interesting because I've never really considered how I'd approach my writing... as a writer or as an illustrator. When writing papers, I often think about outlines and plot and structure and then bulk out my argument/point/thesis from there, but as an illustrator I think of visual characteristics and settings, what does the character look like? How will his appearance change as the story progresse?... I can see the story growing before I know the whys and whos and what ifs. It's very interesting to analyze how it all develops inside my head!

In other big news, I just finished designing my very first iPhone app icon! It's for a program called iServe that will be a tip tracker for people in the restaurant industry to keep track of their earnings on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. I was pretty timid when I was approaching this project because making something for iPhone just seemed so HUGE, I guess because of the amount of people it can potentially reach. I fettered for a while, unsure if or how I should move forward with my main idea, and then finally I took the plunge!... kind of... I was worried about creating the images in my own illustrative style because my pen and ink style doesn't really seem to fit the iPhone aestheic, so I took what I considered the "safe" route and created the images in illustrator, allowing me to use effects like gradients and sharp, straight edges and lines. I'm actually very pleased with the final products, and so was the guy who hired me, so that was a really rewarding conclusion.

Here's the main app icon that will represent iServe.

And here are the three small icons that will serve as the functioning buttons for the app: Settings, Charts, and New.

I'll let you all know when the app is available for purchase so that everyone can buy it and make me super rich and famous! (Just kidding about the rich part... I don't get any kind of royalties for the artwork).

I'll try to keep updating with wonderful Cali news! Yay vacation!

Business Cards!

2009-08-20T14:51:00.003-07:00

2 posts in one day! My business cards just arrived! I'm not sure how I feel about them...

Any thoughts about the colors? Is it legible? Does it look professional? Tell me what you think!

Show and Tell

2009-08-20T11:36:00.009-07:00

Yesterday I got to share where I work, and today I'm going to finally share my work. As I've been researching how to promote my blog and optimize my social networking, I've come to realize that my blog thus far shows very little about what I do. So, I'm taking this opportunity to introduce some of my work, and I'll gradually bring more of it in to give you a sense of who I am as an artist.

This first project was my senior thesis and I'm excited that I can use my blog to showcase it, since I'm not quite sure how else to get the public to see it. The parameters for the thesis were that it had to be visual reportage - something based on observation - and something that could potentially have a place in the real world once completed. For my project, I observed real conversations and then transformed the speakers into puppets and re-enacted the scenes in a comic strip-esque layout. The result was very entertaining and, I like to think, successful. The puppets had a lot of character and I was able to control the comedic tone through pacing and "facial" reactions, thus maximizing the humor in the conversations. Here are a few snippets from the book, which included 7 conversations of varying lengths.

These were the endpages of the book, giving the reader a glimpse of what was to come without giving too much away. (Click to see larger version)

This was a conversation I overheard on an airplane. Remember, all of these conversations are real and pretty much verbatim from what I recorded.

This conversation was the most personally compelling because it featured my professor, DB Dowd, who taught the thesis seminar. As students we were often baffled by things he said because of his particular, um, talent to phrase things in ways that made them completely incomprehensible. I also achieved an impeccable likeness with the puppet!

You can see the book in its entirety here, and if you have any ideas or suggestions on how/to whom I might market it, I'd love to hear from you! I hope to expand the collection of conversations and eventually maybe present it as a web comic once I have enough material.

A Peek into SeeSaw

2009-08-19T20:42:00.007-07:00

It's time to share where and how I spend some of my days - at SeeSaw Designs! Today I spent a solid six hours trimming cards to accompany a letterpress calendar the girls are preparing for 2010. The calendar is almost complete, yet until the girls make it public, the images will need to remain a mystery for you to look forward to. However, I wanted to show you something, so I snapped a few pictures to give you a feel for the atmosphere.

This is the conference room/first room of the office where I do my cutting... take some time to admire those clean, straight edges! I'm very good at my job. :)

This is the main office room, where Raquel, Angela and Lindsay (not pictured) work side-by-side, sharing ideas, designs, and laughter.

More of the main office, with awesome floor to ceiling windows, and inside those boxes are the Thank You cards that SeeSaw has been sending out to old, new, and prospective clients. They recently had a special giveaway on their blog where they awarded a follower with 2 variety packs of cards! Check the cards out here!

Big windows in the front room, too!

Wall decor and a mini hand letterpress.

It's just too cute! Up-close view of the hand letterpress.

Vicarious Living

2009-08-16T12:25:00.014-07:00

I just heard from my friend Meredith who is leaving Eastern Europe after over a month of incredible adventures. Meredith won a travel grant from Wash U at graduation and she used the money to fund a trip to Russia, where she continued her thesis exploration of illustrating abandoned buildings, and let me tell you, the girl is a fearless explorer! She crawled through abandoned water parks and snuck into an abandoned children's hospital filled with remnants of Soviet life, including photos of deformed children and Communist stars. Meredith has yet to post any of her own pictures due to time constraints, yet being a diligent facebook stalker, I went through all of her traveling companion's pictures and was completely awed by how incredible these sites were. I can't wait to hear more of her stories!

In the meantime, I'm going to keep an eye on her blog and enjoy these lovely previews I stole from my professor DB Dowd's blog!

PS I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly jealous I am of her travels! I wish I were somewhere traveling the world!!!

Sick, but productive!

2009-08-14T09:43:00.010-07:00

Tuesday morning I woke up feeling awful, but thinking I just had a regular cold that I could sleep off in a day with the help of some nyquil and emergen-c. I was supposed to work AM care at camp, which meant I'd need to be at the J by 7am, so at 6am I called my boss and told her I wasn't going to make it in and I'd try to be better by tomorrow. By Tuesday night I thought I'd for sure be able to go back to work the next day... until Wednesday morning came, and I felt even more awful. So I stayed home again, but by the afternoon I was feeling well enough to go to the Scottsdale Gun Club with my family and shoot some rounds (I hit one target in the head!!), so I must have been getting better, but my throat was still killing me. Thursday morning I went to work, but left after an hour because I was afraid I'd get the kids sick - it's very difficult to interact with 5 and 6 year olds without making any physical contact - there is always someone who wants me to hold his hand or carry her to the next activity - it just doesn't work when you're sick. By Thursday night I was feeling worse than ever, and I finally went to the doctor who told me I have an ear infection and some kind of virus! Ick! I don't think I've had an ear infection since I was four! But now I'm on some medicine and hopefully I'll be back to normal soon.

However, for a sick girl, I've been very productive in these last few days. Taking advantage of all the free time I had at home, I began working on creating a brand for my freelance design. As I mentioned in the last post, I've been trying to come up with a name for my business, and I came up with a bunch of hippo-something ideas and fouroneone(411) creative, which I really liked but thought it sounded too boring to represent my illustrations. So, I talked to my brother about it, and he said I should use one name for my design work and more serious material, and another for my illustrations and more child-oriented work. And thus fouroneone creative was born, and I began working fiendishly on getting the business going, purchasing a domain name (fouroneonecreative.com) and designing a logo and business card. I drove my family crazy asking every ten minutes if they liked this variation and how they felt about that little change, and for the most part I was met with the response that it's my project, my brand, my choice. Some help! But I finally arrived at a font, a color palette, and a design that I'm happy with (I think) and I sent in the order for business cards last night! So, in 6-12 days I will officially be in business, and I can give you my card to prove it! Sometimes being a grown up feels good, even when you're sick!

Let me know what you think of the card! Criticism and compliments are welcome.

The Beginning

2009-08-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

The time has come for me to finally start my very own blog! I'll be updating as regularly as I can about things I'm working on and plans for my future.

So, let's start the update!

I'm currently working at Shemesh Day Camp again, but only for another week before all of the kiddies return to school. I'm the counselor for 25 soon-to-be first graders, and the last week has been full of lots of chaotic and hilarious moments, including six little boys peeing all over the backyard of the JCC - oops! The kids always keep me laughing but I'm totally exhausted by the end of the week!

I also just got hired (today!) for a part-time job at a children's clothing store called Peek... Aren't You Curious? The store is adorable and they do all of their own design and display work. The store is sorted out into themed sections like the Americana boys section, which is accessorized with cowboy books and firetrucks. So cute!

I'm also interning at a really great design studio called SeeSaw Designs. It's a really small studio set up by two girls who graduated from ASU's design program a few years ago and they specialize in letterpress work. I love their work and I love working with the girls, and it's a pretty unique experience since they allow me to give my input on new projects and brainstorm with them so that I can improve my own design skills.

Finally, I'm working on branding myself - creating a business name, a business card and a website. My top choice for a business name is 'The Artful Hippo' because it plays off The Artful Dodger character from Dickens' Oliver Twist, tying back to my literary roots, and, well, because I really love hippos. The website is on delay until I finalize the business name, but I do have my portfolio up at daynaadler.com. I'm working on the business card design and I'll post some preliminary ideas when I get a chance - suggestions and opinions are VERY welcome! (That goes for the business name, as well).

And now that I've written a small novel, I think I'll conclude my first post with some other exciting news: I qualified for the next round of phx layer tennis! PHX Layers is a design contest where designers volley an image back and forth for six 30-minute rounds (3 turns each) manipulating, adding and subtracting to each image. Check it out at http://www.phxlayers.com to learn more and see my qualifying round vs. Claudia Miranda.

Ok, I think that's enough for my first post! Thanks for reading!