Creative Musing
March 2021
Death Snail
One Banana
Creative Musing
March 2021
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One Banana
A simple illustration utilizing light and shadow.
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One Banana graphic tee is available for purchase. Check out more graphic tees on my Cotton Bureau profile page.
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Note: All Cotton Bureau apparel comes in a variety of clothing types, styles, fits, sizes, materials, and colors.
USPS Mail Truck
Creative Musing
March 2021
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USPS Mail Truck
I have been enthralled by the boxy style of the new USPS mail trucks. Such a cool design should warrant a refreshed brand… right? To implement my take on a revitalized brand, I created technical illustration views of the truck and integrated the mock brand to illustrate the redesign visually.
Maggie Bandstra Studio
Client Project
March 2021
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Maggie Bandstra Studio
Maggie is a versatile artist and educator who seamlessly transitions between painting and crafting clay sculptures and pottery. Her creative endeavors are unified by a captivating exploration of themes such as nature, healing, and human connection.
The organic shapes within her logo are reflective of the forms recurrent in both her paintings and pottery creations. While her identity remains neutral, Maggie's vibrant personality permeates her work, ensuring that her art takes center stage. During the exploration phase, it became evident that Maggie required multiple logo marks to accommodate diverse applications across her artwork and to maintain a professional presence across various stamped, printed and digital platforms.
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+ Brand Identity
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+ Creative Direction
+ Qualitative Research
+ Visual Identity
+ Stationery Design
Portrait Style Evolution
Client Project + Product
March 2021
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Portrait Style Evolution
These portraits illustrations started as a self-initiated project in 2013 as a stratagem, but also to expanded my skill as an illustrator.
The project began with drawing a few of my Facebook friends and turned into a series of paid client projects for the CanUX Conference, Herman Miller, Fast Company, and IxDA. This personal initiative were simple portrait line studies and evolved to a refined style without compromising its minimalist feel. Portraits from top to bottom: Sam Bleckley, Steve Frykholm, and Hamad Al Zemami.
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+ Portrait Illustration
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+ Style Development
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Illustration -
Looking for a custom illustrated portrait of yourself or a group? Reach out via email for further information and details.
Merrell Footwear Illustrations
Client Project
February 2021
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Merrell Footwear Illustrations
I collaborated with Cush Design to create detailed illustrations of sixteen Merrell shoes, showcasing six distinct views for each: three-quarter, top, inside side, outside side, front, and back (a total of 96 illustration. The illustrations required precise detail, achieved through a combination of photographic references and direct observation of the physical shoes, ensuring accuracy in depicting each view.
So, I’m sure you’re asking why do footwear brands do this? It’s to visually document their unique footwear designs, allowing them to legally protect their creations, safeguarding their intellectual property and maintaining competitiveness in the market.
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+ Patent Illustrations
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+ Illustration
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This project was a joint endeavor with Matthew Cushman of Cush Design, Inc.
Vessel
Creative Musing
February 2021
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Vessel
An elegant combination mark for a memorial urns business. The mark is paired with the typeface Niagara designed by Tobias Frere-Jones from Frere-Jones Type.
Jabber
Creative Musing
February 2021
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Jabber
Matching the visual essence of a word into a wordmark. The typeface that I used is Proxima Nova designed by Mark Simonson from Mark Simonson Studio.
Swans Reflection
Creative Musing
January 2021
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Swan Reflection
Black and white swans on the water.
Salad Bowl
Creative Musing
January 2021
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Salad Bowl
A medley of fresh greens and protein.
The Well
Client Project
January 2021
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The Well
The Well Initiative is a place of gathering, conversation, and community. Formed by a group of fellow believers who felt an urgency and awareness of the racial disparities in our country and the desire to better love to our neighbors and community.
Like the priest and the Levite who pass by on the other side of the road to avoid the man who lies dying (Luke 10), we also have ignored the historic as well as present suffering of those around us, often in the context of race. The Well comes together across generations, political lines, and various backgrounds to humbly listen, learn, and engage with open hearts and minds.
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Visual Identity
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+ Creative Direction
+ Project Management
+ Custom Typography
+ Illustration
Climbing Out
Creative Musing
January 2021
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Climbing Out
For some, climbing out of 2020 feels like this… carefully ascending out of a hole, while perhaps navigating loss of a loved one, a job, anxiety, depression, long covid. Wishing all a good year of hope and renewal. As Ian Maclaren wisely stated, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
Happy 2021
Creative Musing
January 2021
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Happy 2021
Bestowing a character to the year 2021. From left to right, Optimistic 2021, 2021 Balancing Act, and 2021 Surprise.
A Year Of Prints
Creative Musing + Products
December 2020
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A Year Of Prints
Some prints from others and some of my own. From left to right:
1. Architectural Styles via Michael Nÿkamp
2. Black Cat via Little Friends
3. Goodbye 2020 via Michael Nÿkamp
4. House Industries via David Dodde
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Architectural Styles and Goodbye 2020 posters are available in my shop.
Statue of Liberty
Creative Musing
December 2020
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Statue of Liberty
Anticipating better days ahead. The poem, The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus was the inspiration for this mark.
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Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flameIs the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door
– Emma Lazarus
Goodbye 2020
Creative Musing
December 2020
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Goodbye 2020
A poster designed to say goodbye to 2020. It’s was a colorful and topsy-turvy year and I’m glad that it’s over. Perhaps we should celebrate its end—Goodbye, Au revoir. Adiós, 잘가 (Jalga).
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This poster is available for purchase in my shop.
Lost Privacy
Article + Creative Musing
December 2020
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Lost Privacy
Illustrative concepts exploring technology, who owns our data, loss of privacy, and our mental health. Technology (specifically the smallish computer in your pocket) has been a wonderful tool for us. But, they also have been used unethically for data collection, observation of dark patterns, and social network disinformation campaigns. Like warning signs located on products that are dangerous for us, should we do the same for technology products?
Hamad Al Zemami
Client Project
November 2020
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Hamad Al Zemami
I was commissioned to create a portrait of Hamad. The minimalist illustrative style began with simple lines and has since evolved with the addition of bold fills. These portraits are part of a continued series inspired by a self-promotional project I initiated in 2012, named Facebook Friends.
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+ Portrait Illustration
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+ Style Development
+ Sketching & Ideation
+ Illustration -
Looking for a custom illustrated portrait of yourself or a group? Reach out via email for further information and details.
Red Riding Hood
Article + Creative Musing
November 2020
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Red Riding Hood
I have been asked many times about my illustrative logo/icon process, so I thought I would share. (it’s very similar to any design process). Though my illustrative style is simple, it does not mean that it's effortless. Process takes time and is a combination of thoughtfulness, collaboration, knowledge, and craft. In the initial phase, sketches and ideation are crafted based on comprehensive research, with only one or a few selected from a wide array of rough concept drawings. Moving into the second phase, the process progresses to defining sketches, utilizing basic shapes to enhance the conceptualization. Finally, in the third phase, numerous iterations, adjustments, and refinements are undertaken until both the client and/or I are satisfied with the result, leading to the culmination of the final execution. The typeface I used for the copy is Gotham design by Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones at Hoefler&Co.
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Green arrows signify progress in the illustration process, while red arrows indicate a pause or halt in the process.
Lark & Poppy
Creative Musing
November 2020