What a year! Here's one final project: a laser-cut mirror made with acrylic mirror and plywood. This piece was a great combination of all the 365 projects: vector design, laser cut/etch, bright color, wood tones, scrappy/recycled materials, and...
365 Project
day 364: the artist’s mother
Pieces for an upcoming exhibition: 15x15x1.25", plywood, acrylic mirror. Show will be at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art in Anchorage, Alaska.
day 363: lattice patterns
Lattice designs made with Adobe Illustrator's pattern tool, reminiscent of bamboo basketry.
day 362: sonobe unit modular origami
Sonobe unit modular origami party, held at TechShop Chandler. I made a 90-unit model, shown above.
day 361: techshop wallpaper irl
Printed patterns for TechShop Chandler: 36x36" on matte paper.
day 360: drunkard’s path pattern variations
day 359: dots and grids
day 358: stellar jay patterns
Stellar's jay patterns made with Adobe Illustrator.
day 357: drunkard’s path quilt roundup
Drunkard's Path / curved piecing quilt roundup and quilting designs using Adobe Illustrator.
day 356: sine wave signs
Sine wave patterns made with Adobe Illustrator.
day 355: sketchbook entries
day 354: linen short shorts
Shorts made with linen and linen/cotton blends and notions from Fabric Depot, Portland, Oregon, and Vogue pattern 9008. Orange with yellow pom-pom trim, black and white polka dots, and light denim.
day 353: techshop wallpaper, version 2
Wallpaper patterns with gears, pulleys and sprockets for TechShop Chandler. Made with Adobe Illustrator's pattern function.
day 352: techshop wallpaper
Wallpaper patterns with gears, pulleys and sprockets for TechShop Chandler. Made with Adobe Illustrator's pattern function.
day 351: bias stripe afghan in progress
Work in progress: bias stripe knitted afghan.
day 350: scrap fabric tool apron
Tool apron made with scrap fabric, modeled by the lovely dressform Roberta at TechShop Chandler.
day 349: k-bag industrial edition
K-bag duffel made with coated polyester. Download the pattern on the original K-Bag post and check out other color versions here.
day 348: don’t shoot: the messenger bag
"Don't Shoot: The Messenger" bag, made with coated polyester and single- layer quilted with 2 threads with the HQ18 Avante CNC long arm at TechShop Chandler.
day 347: let me tell you about alaskan girls
let me tell you about alaskan girls everyone has a mask they wear, a persona for you jungians out there. they also have an ego, along with a deep unconscious, that drives them...
day 346: get in here and let the big bear get his paws on ya.
"Get in here and let the big bear get his paws on ya." Everyone needs 12 hugs a day: typography includes Cyburn, Lust Script and Edwardian Script. Quotes from Wedding Crashers.
day 345: hot mess quilt
"Hot Mess" scrap quilt made with Kaffe Fasset shot cottons and polar fleece backing (no batting), quilted on an HQ18 Avante CNC Long Arm at TechShop Chandler.
day 344: storm warning
Photos taken from the San Francisco peaks in Flagstaff, Arizona and along I-10 south. Big thunderstorm clouds formed all over the valley: drama city.
day 343: humphrey’s peak macro
Photos taken at Humphrey's Peak, Flagstaff, Arizona.
day 342: july third friday
July Phoenix Art Walk, featuring fantastic installations by Takashi Hara and Danielle Wood at Roosevelt Row.
day 341: spring classic 11
New designs for the 11th annual Spring Classic frisbee golf tournament in Chugiak, Eagle River, Anchorage, and Girdwood, Alaska. The Spring Classic t-shirts were the first post in this 365 series: find the design here.
day 340: skydive arizona
Patterns made with Adobe Illustrator after visiting Skydive Arizona and SkyVenture in Eloy, AZ.
day 339: yayoi kusama inspired dots
Yayoi Kusama inspired dot patterns made with Adobe Illustrator.
day 338: celestial sphere stripes
Non repeating, random color patterns made with Adobe Illustrator's Transform Each > Random tool.
day 337: dead zodiac, part 2
Chinese zodiac illustrations: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
day 336: dead zodiac, part 1
Chinese zodiac illustrations: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig.
day 335: quintessentially christie
Typographic quotes by the indomitable Agatha Christie. "Curious things, habits. People themselves never knew they had them." "I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just...
day 334: words on growth
Typographic quotes about growth from Edward Abbey, Theodore Roethke, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ho Chi Minh, John F. Kennedy, and Henry Miller: "Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell." Edward Abbey "By daily dying, I have come to be." Theodore...
day 333: travel mandalas
Mandalas made with Font Awesome icons in Adobe Illustrator: inspired by travel to hippieville Sedona, travel with good friends, and the great outdoors.
day 332: awkward eagles
Awkward eagles: is there anything more ridiculous than our nation's symbol in all its uncomfortable, ruffled glory? I voted for the turkey.
day 331: headphone patterns
Headphone patterns made with Adobe Illustrator's pattern and offset path features.
day 330: wes andersonian book covers
Book covers in the style of Wes Anderson's films. In the mood for Andersonian colors? Check out wesandersonpalettes!
day 329: tiny dinosaur patterns
Tiny dinosaur patterns inspired by Wes Anderson's film The Darjeeling Limited.
day 328: three circles pattern
Continuous vector circle pattern.
day 327: soda firing
Photos from the very talented Heather Couch's latest soda firing.
day 326: scritchy patterns
"Scritchy" continuous vector patterns made with Adobe Illustrator in 3 variations and 3 colorways: kelp, salmon, and blue steel.
day 325: the eyes have it
Continuous vector patterns made with Adobe Illustrator's pattern tool in 6 colorways.
day 324: palmer garden and art faire swag
Printed and embroidered items from the 2015 Palmer Midsummer Garden and Art Faire in downtown Palmer, Alaska. Many people said this was the best PMGAF ever, and I was happy to have done the design work for the...
day 323: 99 bottles of beer on the wall pattern
Continuous pattern of bottles made with Adobe Illustrator.
day 322: mountainous illustrations
Mountain illustrations made with Adobe Illustrator.
day 321: masks, part 2
Mask designs inspired by DISGUISE at the Seattle Art Museum.
day 320: african masks
African mask vector designs from DISGUISE at the Seattle Art Museum.
day 319: font awesome patterns
Patterns made using the Font Awesome icon set: motorcycle, globe, leaf, birthday cake, gear, scissors, key, paper airplane, and cloud.
day 318: snowflakey patterns
Snowflake like, retro continuous vector patterns made with Adobe Illustrator.
day 317: metaball patterns
Bright patterns made with Wundes' Metaball script in Adobe Illustrator.
day 316: tribute to kandinsky
Square designs reminiscent of Kandinsky. Made with Wundes' Vary Hues script in Adobe Illustrator.
day 315: tribute to the square
Square designs reminiscent of Josef Albers' Homage to the Square. Made with Wundes' Vary Hues script in Adobe Illustrator.
day 314: custom playing cards, diamonds
Hand-drawn playing card designs: suit of diamonds.
day 313: custom playing cards, hearts
Hand-drawn playing card designs: suit of hearts.
day 312: citrus fruit patterns
Citrus fruit patterns made with Adobe Illustrator: lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit in fresh colors.
day 311: tralfamadore and the sirens of titan
Once upon a time in Tralfamadore, there were creatures who weren't anything like machines. They weren't dependable. They weren't efficient. They weren't predictable. They weren't durable. And these creatures were obsessed by the idea that everything that existed had...
day 310: calligraphic lines
Calligraphic lines.
day 309: geometric bird patterns
Geometric bird designs: snow goose, cormorant, and Stellar's jay, along with continuous patterns of the same.
day 306: typescramble
day 307: scribbly
Scribbly continuous patterns made with Adobe Illustrator.
day 308: ring patterns
day 305: fruity patterns
Fruit patterns made with Adobe Illustrator, inspired by Lotta Kuhlhorn's book Designing Patterns.
day 304: bubbles
Continuous bubble patterns made with Adobe Illustrator.
day 303: congress
One useless man is a shame, two are a law firm, and three or more are a congress: author unknown.
day 302: phoenix art museum fashion salon
Phoenix Art Museum fashion salon, featuring beautiful dresses from their archives.
day 301: harp mountain
Hiking Harp Mountain, Eagle River, Alaska.
day 300: melancholy juice
A fragment from an old notebook to celebrate 300 entries: so i drank some melancholy juice and since then have been quite a bit drained of life but i think the colors will soon return. egl - 2011
day 299: seattle art museum, part 3
These art objects were on display at the Seattle Art Museum, June 2015.
day 298: Seattle Art Museum, part 2
These amazing African masks were on display at the Seattle Art Museum, June 2015, as a part of DISGUISE.
day 297: seattle art museum, part 1
Photos from the Seattle Art Museum, June 2015.
day 296: bird illustrations, part 2
day 295: bird cards, part 1
Alaskan bird illustrations: Bohemian waxwing, snow bunting, osprey, sandhill crane, Stellar's jay, snowy owl, spotted towhee, American coot, snow goose, spectacled eider, violet-green swallow, and sharp-shinned hawk, all migratory birds found in the Katchemak Bay area.
day 294: scrap quilt scrapbook
Research for an upcoming scrap quilt class at TechShop Chandler: rag quilts, jean quilts, scrap quilts, abstract quilts, and fussy cut scrap quilts.
day 293: desert birthday animals
Festive Sonoran animals and plants for a desert birthday party: a saguaro cactus, Gila monster, javelina, and a rattlesnake.
day 292: astronomical abecedary, part 2
Auntie Em's Astronomical Abecedary including: ANDROMEDA the chained lady BOöTES the bear driver CAMELOPARDALIS the giraffe DELPHINUS the dolphin ERIDANUS the river FORNAX the furnace GEMINI the twins HOROLOGIUM the clock INDUS the native american LEPUS the hare...
day 291: astronomical abecedary, part 1
Auntie Em's Astronomical Abecedary including: ANDROMEDA the chained lady BOöTES the bear driver CAMELOPARDALIS the giraffe DELPHINUS the dolphin ERIDANUS the river FORNAX the furnace GEMINI the twins HOROLOGIUM the clock INDUS the native american LEPUS the hare...
day 290: pugs vs. weiner dogs
Dachshund vs. pug: eternal rivals! Longboard vs. skateboard, hot dog vs. hamburger... to be continued. Inspired by Madison over at Creechers!
day 289: wedding cups
Ceramic tumblers made by Bill Jamison.
day 288: pendleton silk robe
A robe made from Pendleton Woolen Mills printed silk from McCall's pattern 9638.
day 287: chiricahua national monument
Photos of hiking in Chiricahua National Monument, outside Willcox, Arizona. This beautiful, tranquil and quiet wilderness area features rhyolite rock...
day 286: peppersauce cave
Photos taken in Peppersauce Cave, outside Oracle, Arizona. We were all amateur spelunkers, but I'd definitely try caving again: fun, challenging, and a great experience in the great "indoors."
day 285: mountain collages
Co Collages made from old kids' science books and snowboarding magazine photographs while listening to Alan Watts.
day 284: tomato paradise
Photos taken in my neighbor's amazing tomato paradise.
day 283: bright idea quilt, in situ
Here's my Bright Idea quilt, installed at TechShop Chandler and being used in the nook.
day 282: triangle painting
New painting: masked triangles, painted with vibrant, saturated acrylics and with intentional bleeding under the tape.
day 281: dry heat designs
Thanks to Robert Basil at Dry Heat Designs / Invention Prints for a great Logo Design class today. We created this logo as a group from Robert's existing logo as he enters a new and...
day 280: triangle patterns
Triangle vector patterns made with Adobe Illustrator: graphic design prep for spelunking at Peppersauce Cave.
day 279: geometric t-shirt mockup
A simple t-shirt design made with Adobe Photoshop and a Creative Cloud Market mockup tool: blue geometric wave on charcoal gray.
day 278: tonto natural bridge GIF, rippling water
A GIF of the pond inside Tonto Natural Bridge: cleanest park bathrooms in the state. You won't be disappointed.
day 277: tonto natural bridge state park
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park features North America's most notable travertine natural bridge: worth a stop along highway 87 between Pine and Payson, Arizona. This naturally beautiful site has it all: gorgeous greenery,...
day 276: k bag instructions
Basic instructions for constructing a K Bag duffel bag.
day 275: quilted duffel bags (k bags)
Quilted and otherwise embellished duffel bags made with scrap fabric at TechShop Chandler.
day 274: robert service poem, part 2
Download illustrated, calligraphic poster versions of Robert Service's "A Race of Men" Illustrated, poster-size versions of Robert Service's poem "A Race of Men." A Race of Men There’s a race of men, that don’t fit in A race that can’t sit still. So they break the...
day 273: robert service race of men poem
Illustrated versions of Robert Service's poem "A Race of Men." A Race of Men There’s a race of men, that don’t fit in A race that can’t sit still. So they break the hearts of kith and kin And roam the world at will. They range the field and rove the flood, And they...
day 272: bright idea quilt, completed
A quilt specially made for TechShop Chandler, open 24/7: heat press vinyl and applique, quilted on the long arm.
day 271: special snowflake quilt
Quilted at TechShop Chandler on their HQ18 Avante long arm with a combination of CNC stitches and free motion: about 6 hours of setup and quilting time.
day 270: weaving fate
Samples of weaving done on a laser-cut backstrap loom. Find out more at osloom.org
day 269: and it rained posters
Posters inspired by the book Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins: all about that rain.
day 268: earrings now in store!
Big earrings, little earrings, bright earrings, mellow earrings, anything you could want for yourself or a gift. **Edit: formerly in the store, these items are now sold out. Contact me with questions.**
day 267: sinbad pants
Pajama pants inspired by Sinbad and his amazing colorful wardrobe. Long live the 80s and crazy prints!
day 266: looking back
I reviewed the last 265 days of projects by printing out the best images as polaroids and mounting a grid of photos. With only 1/3 of the projects printed, the amount of work this represents is still remarkable, with 100 days to go!
day 265: hendricks park flora
Flora from Hendricks Park and Owen Rose Garden, Eugene, Oregon: rhododendrons, azaleas and more native plants were in full bloom this May.
day 264: follow the white dots
Follow the white dots along the Watson Lake trail, Prescott, Arizona: animation made with Adobe Photoshop. Have fun.
day 263: watson lake hike plus rattlesnake
Photos taken at Watson Lake, Prescott, Arizona: red rock, rattlesnake, and a beautiful day.
day 262: continuous line quilting patterns
Continuous line quilting border patterns, featuring hearts and simple geometric shapes, generated with Adobe Illustrator's pattern brush tool.
day 261: oregon coast
I just returned from a trip to Portland, Eugene and Florence, Oregon: I enjoyed beautiful weather and QT with family. We stopped at North Jetty, South Jetty, and Haceta Beaches.
day 260: may art walk
Poster for the May Second Saturday Art Walk in downtown Palmer, Alaska. 2-6pm: info and more at palmermuseum.org.
day 259: palmer museum annual celebration
The Palmer Museum's Annual Celebration on Saturday, May 9 from 6:30-9:30pm features catering by Humdinger’s Pizza, live music performed by gypsy jazz group, Swing 49, and a tasting provided by Arkose Brewery. The event is being sponsored by the Erickson Group of...
day 258: the amazing seventies
Images from The House Book, published 1974, featuring out-of-control prints, decorating styles, casual nudity, and tan lines. Thanks to Colleen Donohoe for this amazing resource!
day 257: arctic signs and symbols
I found these amazing gems in a thrift store book: use these in case of a polar emergency. "Pick us up!" seems to be a great universal symbol. Stomp these into the snow: Require supplies Require doctor Require food and water Require clothing Require fuel and oil...
day 256: spring classic embroidery, hats and socks edition
I embroidered these socks and hat patches at TechShop Chandler for the 10th annual Spring Classic frisbee golf tournament in Chugiak, Eagle River, Anchorage, and Girdwood, Alaska. The Spring...
day 255: laser lattice
I applied some of the art I made back in my All Points post to make a lattice panel: work in progress.
day 254: party box
Box for party supplies or general around-the-house festiveness.
day 253: earring madness
Laser-cut wood earrings, stained and sealed.
day 252: auntie em’s animal abecedary, part 4 – PRINTABLE!
The final installment of my coloring book: colored pages and a printable PDF for YOU to print out and color in yourself. Download a printable version of Auntie Em's Animal Abecedary here (PDF) Featuring animals that start with a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n,...
day 251: auntie em’s animal abecedary, part 3
Part 3 of my animal drawings, part of a four-page mini coloring book, featuring animals that start with r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y & z: rhinoceros skunk tapir urial (sheep) vicuna walrus hyraX yak zebra...
day 250: auntie em’s animal abecedary, part 2
Part two: animal drawings, part of a four-page mini coloring book, featuring animals that start with i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p and q: ibex jackal kangaroo loris mongoose nyala orangutan porcupine sQuirrel Side...
day 249: auntie em’s animal abecedary, part 1
Animal drawings, part of a four-page mini coloring book, featuring animals that start with a, b, c, d, e, f, g and h: aye-aye bear cougar dromedary (camel) elephant fox giraffe hare
day 248: spring classic embroidery
Embroidery tests using the Janome embroidery machine at TechShop Chandler on scrap fabric. Classic.
day 247: skull saguaro
It's always the day of the dead on this saguaro cactus!
day 246: hygro-gyroscope iv
Hygro-gyroscope IV: part of the series on exhibit at Chandler Fashion Center through July 31, 2015. Laser-cut wood, porcelain, and cotton thread: 14" diameter.
day 245: TMOCA
Coloring sheets from TMOCA 2015.
day 244: potato prints
Some simple potato prints made with recycled latex paint on paper: a great craft to do with kids or just to make your own wrapping paper.
day 243: magnetic
Magnets made from laser cutting scraps. ~3" diameter. Stained and sealed, these double as coasters in a pinch.
day 242: color and shape
Wallhangings made from laser scrap: stained and sealed plywood, 6-10". Reduce, reuse, recycle!
day 241: wilson mountain
A hike up Wilson Mountain, in Oak Creek Canyon just north of Sedona, Arizona, rewarded us with gorgeous views of red rock and lush creek greenery.
day 240: peralta trail and geronimo cave
Intrepid explorer Layna (of Detours Destinations fame) and I hiked the Peralta Trail to Geronimo Cave: a beautiful day in the desert overlooking Weaver's Needle.
day 239: conglomerations
A wall piece made with laser cutting plywood scraps. 36x36".
day 238: cellular
A wall piece made with leftover laser cutting scraps of plywood. ~15" high.
day 237: gold ring
17.5", plywood wall sculpture, stained and sealed. From my Ring series.
day 236: green ring
9.5" diameter, plywood wall sculpture from my Ring series.
day 235: pies
Pie illustrations.
day 234: red ring
9.5" diameter, plywood wall sculpture, part of my Ring series.
day 233: TAG open studios
The Art Grads hosted an open studio on April 10: a chance to sneak a peak into the process and work-in-progress of the many graduate students at Arizona State University.
day 232: tintypes
Tintypes taken at the ASU Grant Street Studios Open Studios by the incomparable Buzzy Sullivan & co. No, we're not coal miners.
day 231: monster guinea pig collage
day 230: sunset mosaics
Images made with Adobe Illustrator's object mosaic, gradient mesh, round corners filter, and image trace features.
day 229: anais nin portraits, part 2
More Warhol-style portraits of writer Anais Nin.
day 228: anais nin portraits
Warhol-style portraits of writer Anais Nin.
day 227: touch screen tests
Learning to use my new touchscreen 2-in-1 laptop reminds me of learning to draw with paper and pen: lots of practice, lots of mistakes, and lots of a certain kind of quiet, Zen fun.
day 226: 10 patterns that govern the physical world
Graphic posters with the following: Architect Sym Van der Ryn wrote of ten patterns that make up the physical world: Spheres Nests/mosaics Lattices Polyhedra Spirals/helixes Meanders Branching Waves Symmetry Fractals
day 225: easter eggs
Easter egg illustrations made with Adobe Illustrator.
day 224: honey bunnies
The fabulous Amanda Tucker of Modified Minds hosted an Easter crafts night at TechShop Chandler, including these plushy bunnies. Lots of families, including both parents and kids that had never used a sewing machine before, hopped on the basic sewing machines...
day 223: fleurify
Thanks to Wundes for an excellent script called Fleurify: this Javascript allows the quick and easy creation of complex geometric patterns.
day 222: all points
Thanks to Wundes for the Adobe Illustrator script All Points: this little gem makes amazing patterns or mandalas by connecting all the points in a vector.
day 221: april art walk
April Art Walk posters for the amazing Selena Ortega-Chiolero/Palmer Museum's monthly event. Find out more at palmermuseum.org.
day 220: varicolored
Using Wundes' Vary Hues script, I made these patterns in Adobe Illustrator: perfect for crazy wrapping paper, quilt inspiration, stationary, etc. The title is inspired by Zora Neale Hurston: “The varicolored cloud dust that the sun has stirred up in the sky was...
day 219: pie heart you
I love you, pie. Lemon meringue, coconut cream, berry, apple, and the list goes on.
day 218: silver moon jewelry rack
16x6" laser-cut plywood earring rack made from laser cutting scrap, stained and sealed silver.
day 217: reusable laser cut blackboard pennant banner
Reuseable laser-cut plywood pennant or banner: chalkboard on one side, colorful paint on the other. Write a message like happy birthday or use colorful sides for a bright, festive occasion. Can be threaded with ribbon, rope or string to any length.
day 216: studio rack
Studio display/sorting/storage made from recycled MDF and household paint.
day 215: sketchbook entries
Sketchbook entries: quilt dreams and lettering planning.
day 214: hygroscopic/gyroscopic upcoming exhibition
HYGROSCOPIC/GYROSCOPIC An exhibition by Emily Longbrake April 1-July 31, 2015 Chandler Fashion Center 3111 W. Chandler Blvd. Chandler, Arizona MATERIALS Wheel-thrown, carved porcelain {center spheres}, shellac, laser-cut luon plywood {rings}, steel wire, wood...
day 213: denali book
This 6-panel wooden accordion book, shown in 2 colorways, features Denali and the Alaska Range. Made of laser-cut luon plywood and thread with water-based stain and sealant. Includes custom storage box. A commission for a wonderful friend.
day 212: gyroscopes in progress
It never hurts to make a prototype first. Laser-cut wood and a Sonobe unit stellated dodecahedron origami figure as well as porcelain spheres.
day 211: bright idea quilt
A quilt specially made for TechShop Chandler, open 24/7 starting March 20, 2015.
day 210: hola laptop art
Thanks to Lance Lekander for this awesome sticker: this scrap of red vinyl just asked to be used for something awesome.
day 209: brontosaurus stack
Nothin' to see here, just a stack of brontosauri. Heat press vinyl on 100% cotton.
day 208: em-broidery test
Sample embroidery from TechShop's embroidery class. When you get an oval instead of a circle, it's time to calibrate your machine! Polyester thread on cotton canvas with medium-weight stabilizing interfacing.
day 207: thank you cards
Laser-cut wood block thank you cards for AMAZING friends and family. Hand printed with a baren and water-based acrylic ink.
day 206: pi day wedding, part 2
I highly recommend getting married in a hot air balloon with 7 strangers: just cross your fingers that the balloon doesn't crash land! We really enjoyed the color, blue skies, and serious sun over the...
day 205: pi day wedding
Apologies for the delay in posting the last weeks' 365 entries: I married the wonderful Bill Jamison today, SUPER Pi Day (3.14.15) and was caught up in planning the big event.
day 204: second saturday art walk, march
The Palmer Art Walk takes place every second Saturday. Spearheaded by the indomitable Selena Ortega-Chiolero, executive director of the Palmer Museum of History and Art, this event has grown every month and incorporates fine art, performance art, and community...
day 203: boulder creek
Photos from a lovely spring break hike along Boulder Creek Trail at Canyon Lake in the Superstition Mountains near Phoenix, Arizona.
day 202: orbs in progress
Wheel-thrown, hand carved porcelain sculpture.
day 201: PDX tray
Laser-cut coffee tray with a Portland skyline. Luon plywood and shellac.
day 200: darkroom
Photos from my sketchbook, processed the old-fashioned way in a darkroom.
day 196: reptile playground at papago park
Gila monster, rattlesnake, king snake, tortoise and rattlesnake rattle, all at Papago Park's snake playground. Check out the snakeskin play surface!
day 195: old timey photos, phoenix, arizona
Old timey photos from Phoenix, Arizona, captured at Terminal 4, Sky Harbor Airport.
day 194: dog poster roundup
A collection of vintage or Art Deco style dog posters, inspiration for an upcoming project. These posters really highlight strength of line, contrast, and movement.
day 193: a is for agave
Agave inspiration, updated! Not all featured images are agaves but all feature radial symmetry and some Fibonacci patterning, as well as the ability to brighten up a desert landscape or home.
day 192: pottery silhouettes
Designs for pottery using Adobe Illustrator's blend and envelope distort tools.
day 191: starburst patterns
Starburst patterns made with Adobe Illustrator's pattern brush tool.
day 190: waves
Wave patterns made with Adobe Illustrator's blend and envelope distort tools.
day 189: artist ID card
Do you belong to the Universal Artists' Guild? If so, you definitely need an ID card.
day 188: kodiak sketchbook
Photos from my sketchbook / scrapbook: Kodiak Island in 2006 including an EPIC rope/buoy swing, docks, harbors, and stunning landscapes.
day 187: beyond the classroom
Graphic design for an auxillary program for the March Second Saturday Art Walk in Palmer, Alaska. Beyond the Classroom is an art contest for high school students in all media. Visit palmermuseum.org for more information.
day 186: ripples
A .gif from my recent trip to Kauai's Ho'opi'i Falls.
day 185: batik quilt
Quiltathon part 2: a colorful batik quilt from a kit given to me by a friend. The colors of this quilt didn't quite mesh as well as I planned, but the quilting definitely improved the design, and I'm beginning to master the HQ18 Avante long arm and its tricky ways....
day 184: mechanical pillows
Pillows made with TechShop's gear logo, laser cut fabric applique, SAS fabric by the pound, and invisible zipper closure.
day 183: sunprints, part 2
MORE prints made with the Super Sunprint Kit from the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley, California. Sunprints were a favorite childhood memory: I rediscovered them at Kiko in Kapa'a, Kauai, Hawaii. Visit Kiko if you're ever...
day 182: weaving with the laser loom
This scarf was woven (at last!) using the laser backstrap loom I found at instructables.com. I'm also looking forward to trying this cardboard loom by jessyratfink and this scrap wood loom by hells-oui.
day 181: sunprints
Plant prints made with the Super Sunprint Kit from the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley, California. Sunprints were a favorite childhood memory: I rediscovered them at Kiko in Kapa'a, Kauai, Hawaii. Visit Kiko if you're ever on the Garden Island, and check LHS...
day 180: book covers
Minimalist, geometric book covers for some of my favorites: David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, Tom Robbins' Another Roadside Attraction, Anais Nin's Collages, Ken Kesey's Sometimes a Great Notion, and Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose. More to come!
day 179: salton sea
Photos from the Salton Sea, the giant environmental catastrophe just south of Joshua Tree National Park. This body of water was created when the Colorado River flooded a dry lakebed. For a few decades, the lake was a hot...
day 178: joshua tree, part 2
Photos from Joshua Tree National Park, including hiking to Lost Palms Oasis, juniper, Coachella Valley, and White Tank granite.
day 177: joshua tree, part 1
Photos from Joshua Tree National Park, including the park's namesake tree, Pinto gneiss, Skull Rock, and Ryan Mountain.
day 176: mural squares
Studies in overlapping color and line using Adobe Illustrator.
day 175: sonobe unit origami nightlight
These Sonobe unit origami models include a hexahedron, stellated octahedron, and stellated icosahedron, made with 6, 12 and 30 units respectively. I've been a little... obsessed... with origami since second grade, and the bright colors of this night light are...
day 174: artist in residence
I'm happy to announce that as of today I'll be a resident artist at TechShop Chandler for the next four months. I'm looking forward to taking and teaching classes, meetups, workshops, and more. This is the design for my future apron and tool belt, sure to be spotted...
day 173: sketchbook
A collection of digital sketchbook images whose creator has been lost in the ether: any hints for attribution would be very welcome!
day 172: ho’opi’i falls, kauai
Watch your head! Waterfalls, sun, sand, waves, flowers, canyons, gardens and ukeleles: the days on Kauai are just packed.
day 171: neptune room
Photos from the Neptune room in the Allerton section of the National Botanical Garden in Kauai, Hawaii, featuring beautiful garden rooms, sculpture, and tropical plants.
day 170: palmistry
Photos of the amazing variety of palm trees in the Allerton section of the National Botanical Garden in Kauai, Hawaii, featuring beautiful garden rooms, sculpture, and tropical plants.
day 169: entrancing
Photographs of the entrance to the Allerton section of the National Botanical Garden in Kauai, Hawaii, featuring beautiful garden rooms, sculpture, and tropical plants.
day 168: diana thanksgiving
The Diana and Thanksgiving rooms are highlights of the Allerton section of the National Botanical Garden in Kauai, Hawaii, featuring beautiful garden rooms, sculpture, and tropical plants.
day 167: jurassic figs at allerton
The oft-photographed fig trees of Jurassic Park fame: part of the Allerton section of the National Botanical Garden in Kauai, Hawaii, featuring beautiful garden rooms, sculpture, and tropical plants.
day 166: bodacious blooms in kauai
Members of the heliconia family turn heads at Allerton Gardens, part of the National Botanical Gardens in Kauai, Hawaii.
day 165: bamboo room at allerton
The bamboo room of the Allerton section of the National Botanical Garden in Kauai, Hawaii, featuring beautiful garden rooms, sculpture, and tropical plants.
day 164: kauai flora
The flora of Kauai: 99% invasive species, 1% and dropping indigenous species. Can you guess which are which in these photos? Hint: Queen Emma planted just a little of her favorite purple bouganvilla once upon a time....
day 163: waimea canyon
Waimea Canyon, Kauai, Hawaii is the place for spectacular views of the Na Pali coast: photographs seldom capture the drama of this volcanic landscape.
day 162: color study green
Color inspiration of the day: green, chartreuse, juniper, sage, lime, fern, olive, emerald, pear, moss, shamrock, seafoam, pine,...
day 161: color study purple
Color inspiration of the day: purple, mauve, violet, berry, lavender, plum, magenta, lilac, grape, periwinkle, sangria, wine, eggplant, jam, iris, heather,...
day 160: color study orange
Color inspiration for the day: orange, tangerine, merigold, cider, rust, ginger, tiger, fire, bronze, canteloupe, apricot, clay, carrot, squash,...
day 159: color study yellow
Color inspiration of the day: yellow, gold, sunshine, butter, canary, daffodil, flax, lemon, mustard, corn, dandelion, fire, bumblebee, banana, butterscotch,...
day 158: color study blue
Color inspiration of the day: blue, azure, beryl, cerulean, aqua, azul, cobalt, indigo, navy, sapphire, aquamarine, lapiz lazuli, cornflower, cyan,...
day 157: color study red
Color inspiration of the day: RED, carmine, vermilion, crimson, rouge, lobster, cardinal, flame, ruby, claret, cherry, garnet, magenta, rust.
day 156: denali, the great one
Sketches for a future book based on a suggestion from my good friend Keri S.: the Alaska Range, featuring the Great One, Denali. North America's tallest peak is often in black and white, after all.
day 155: august boxes
A new batch of laser cut books means new packaging so they can travel safely to their new homes: these later cut boxes fit perfectly and echo the art inside. These were made at TechShop Chandler with their Universal Laser Systems 18x24" bed and .105" and .205"...
day 154: headbands
Headbands are always in, especially these favorite patterns from Knitty: Quant and Calorimetry have kept my ears and the ears of many friends warm in style. Quant by Star Athena: "As a devotee of creating hand-knitted...
day 153: slouching
This lovely slouchy hat was made from the Dustland Hat pattern by Stephen West in Malabrigo's Rios, colorway Marte. The pattern is available from Ravelry if you like what you see. From Mr. West: "This textured hat gives the perfect...
day 152: wearing many hats
A recent trip to verdant (but chilly) Oregon inspired these green stripey hats in worsted weight, mystery brand wool, silk and alpaca blend yarns. I don't usually knit from a pattern for a basic hat, but here's what I did:...
day 151: knitting 101
These knitted washcloths are made from 100% cotton worsted weight yarn (mystery brand). My mom, aunts, and grandmothers all knitted or crocheted a version of these dishcloths or washcloths: they've been a ubiquitous part of my home forever. The pattern is perfect for...
day 150: words to the wise
These guilloche patterns needed a little typography to go with their lines, so I picked these wise words from Oscar Wilde, Collette, Anais Nin, and Kurt Vonnegut to complement the infinite patterns and shapes that life...
day 149: palmer midsummer garden and art faire
New designs for the Palmer Midsummer Garden and Art Faire, July 11, 2015, in downtown Palmer, Alaska. The event features more than 30 art and garden vendors, workshops, garden tours, live music,Alaska Grown food and beverage vendors, a...
day 148: peak a week posters
My goal for 2015 is to hike a peak every week, so these posters are a great way to keep track of each adventure throughout the year. Download these Peak a Week posters for FREE here.
day 147: yelloweye rockfish, part 3
I finally finished this large yelloweye rockfish sculpture and plan on making a series of other fish to complete the school.
day 146: pronghorn, part 2
I completed this pronghorn antelope wallhanging for my brother-in-law over the holidays: laser cut plywood, finished with shellac. Fun facts about pronghorn conservation in the Southwest: At the turn of the 20th century, members of the wildlife conservation...
day 145: the twitchy whisker
The Twitchy Whisker is a fictitious pub, created for logo practice. Doesn't it sound like a fun place to go?
day 144: another winter day
day 143: birch leaves
The birch: "This tree is sometimes called "The Watchful Tree" because of eye-like impressions on the bark."
day 142: cat portraits
Cat portraits using Adobe Illustrator's Live Paint feature. I started making these for fun, but they ended up defining some eras of my life: Gooseberry, the feral cat that my dad tamed when I was really young; Olive and...
day 141: collages, part 21
day 140: collages, part 20
day 139: words on paper
Text by Jamie Brisick and Tom Robbins.
day 138: collages, part 19
day 137: collages, part 18
day 136: collages, part 17
day 135: collages, part 16
day 134: collages, part 15
day 133: collages, part 14
day 132: collages, part 13
day 131: collages, part 12
day 130: collages, part 11
day 129: collages, part 10
day 128: collages, part 9
day 127: collages, part 8
Happy Boxing Day!
day 126: collages, part 7
day 125: 10:30 sunrise
Photographs taken with my Canon EOS Rebel T3i in Palmer, Alaska, featuring Matanuska Peak, Lazy Mountain, Country Garden Farms, and our local flock of bohemian waxwings.
day 124: in memory of olive
Olive, a maine coon mix adopted from the Anchorage Animal Care & Control, lived with my family for more than 17 years. After at least 10 lives, we sent her to kitty heaven on December 22, the same day as my uncle's passing. I'll miss them both tremendously but am...
day 123: in memory of harold
Harold A. Longbrake, 71, of Marysville and formerly of Rushsylvania passed away Monday, December 22, 2014 at Memorial Hospital of Union County, Marysville. He was born near Raymond on April 24, 1943 to the late Harold E. and Laura L. (Askins) Longbrake. Harold was a...
day 122: collages, part 6
day 121: collages, part 5
day 120: collages, part 4
day 119: collages, part 3
day 118: collages, part 2
day 117: collages
day 116: kuspuk snuggie
Kuspuk made from a thrifted Vellux blanket and misc. trim, originally made for Transformed Treasures, a benefit for the Salvation Army of Alaska in April 2014. From Wikipedia: "A kuspuk is a hooded overshirt with a large front pocket commonly worn among Alaska...
day 115: catharsis
Sometimes the project just doesn't work out. Rather than getting upset, I prefer a little (plasma) catharsis.
day 114: embroiderthon
The holidays are a great time to try out a time-intensive, technically challenging new project: this year I chose machine embroidery with a Bernina Aurora 440 QE, Bernina ArtLink 7 software, a free trial of SewArt, several seam rippers, and a large special egg nog. ...
day 113: baby wrapping paper
No, not for wrapping babies: your baby can help you make this paper! Use a puree of beets and water, protect any non-pink clothing, and have at 'em.
day 112: greek goods
Photo shoot of handmade goods, imported from Greece by Alaska Liturgical Supply.
day 111: circle swatches
Swatches made with Adobe Illustrator's pattern tool.
day 110: velveteen rabbit
'"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?" "Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's...
day 109: zen garden
Zen garden designs using Adobe Illustrator scroll brushes. Om....
day 108: mad for plaid
Creating plaid patterns in Adobe Illustrator is super easy, and they provide lots of inspiration for weaving, knitting, crochet, or other projects. Just contact me for the .AI or .EPS file...
day 107: swirls
Swirl patterns made with Adobe Illustrator's Shape Builder and transparency effects tools.
day 106: guilloche patterns, part 2
Call it stuck in a rut, but I can't get enough of these guilloche patterns. I really should print some money or fancy certificates with these!
day 105: yelloweye, part 2
These laser-cut yelloweye rockfish were quite a hit, so I made a whole school in preparation for filling with monoprints, collage and resin.
day 104: pronghorn
Another special request by my sister, this pronghorn antelope will be laser cut as a wall piece. The pronghorn, or "speed goat" as my brother-in-law likes to call them, is the fastest land animal in North America and second fastest in the world (after the cheetah)....
day 103: guilloche patterns
Guilloche patterns are best known as security seals and patterns on currency, official documents, and more. Little did you know: they're also relatively easy to...
day 102: yelloweye rockfish
Per a request by my sister, this lovely/terrifying yelloweye rockfish design will be laser cut in time to greet holiday visitors. From Wikipedia: "The yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) is a rockfish of the genus Sebastes, and one of the biggest members of the...
day 101: douglas fir book, part 2
I finished staining and stitching the Douglas fir book today using recycled latex paint and some ordinary sewing thread. Measures 8.5x88".
day 100: douglas fir book
This laser-cut book design features Pseudotsuga menziesii, the state tree of Oregon and personal favorite. These trees are massive both in size and in biological influence, contributing to the remarkable ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. Mark Dion, a guest scholar...
day 99: cactus wren
The ABBA (A Buncha Book Artists) club sale over the last three days gave me a chance to watch the cactus wrens at work.
day 98: weaverbird
Weaverbirds and their huge nests have fascinated me since I first saw them on PBS's Nature; seeing them in person on my exchange to South Africa was a highlight of my year abroad.
day 97: morgant horse
Part 4 of my horse-animal mashup series: the six-legged Morgan horse, or morgant. "A Morgan is distinctive for its stamina and vigor, personality and eagerness and strong natural way of moving." See more about the Morgan horse here. [gallery columns="2"...
day 96: lippizzpider
Part 3 of my series of horse-bug mashups: the Lippizzan spider, agile and aristocratic.
day 95: alphabetical
A small study in space using my font library: Fonts: nordic oil can nova bold oaktag regular onion onramp nosegrind...
day 94: tree & lights
String-and-flour ornaments, some multi-color lights, and a shapely branch from the brush pile = a Tempe holiday tree.
day 93: color halftone
Here's a test of Adobe Illustrator's color halftone effect, plus some transparency blending effects:
day 92: clydesnail
Part 2 of my horse mashup series: the clydesnail, slow and mighty. Lisa Hanawalt is my illustrator idol and equine drawing inspiration: her animal/human mashups, including Bojack Horseman and Tuca and Bertie, are available on Netflix. [gallery columns="4"...
day 91: craft fair booth recap
Constructing my Build-a-Booth was a strenuous undertaking, but it really turned out well thanks to the help of my dad and brother-in-law. Late-night sanding and staining really bring a family together!
day 90: NASA circles
NASA's launch of Orion inspired these new circle designs, soon to be cut with the laser and added to my palette for future assemblages.
day 89: chickAND
I learned to add a beak to an ampersand back in 9th grade to make a "chick-and", and I've never looked back. Every time a grim work email arrives, all I have to do is look for that little Latin "et" for some humor in the uninviting. fonts myriad pro bold bookman old...
day 88: build-a-booth
Craft fairs are a blessing and a curse, but this booth design, new for this year's Arts and Crafts Emporium (Nov. 22-23 in Anchorage) will hopefully make this sale easy and fun to set up. More photos to come upon completion. Download these BUILD-A-BOOTH Instructions.
day 87: spirograph quilt, part 1
After a 15 hour day of working on this puppy, it still wasn't done, but I've returned to try another day. Here are the first batch of process photos; coming up next, the finished project. Technical notes: Don't settle for serger thread: that weak-sister stuff will...
day 86: laser woodcut prints
Experimenting with laser engraving wood plates has produced some interesting results: since I don't have a press, these are hand printed with a baren using relief ink. These will be on sale at the Denai'na Center in Anchorage on November 22-23 at the Arts & Crafts...
day 85: snow coasters
Double-sided collaged coasters from my coffee table magazine collection: thanks to Real Simple and Transworld Snowboarding.
day 84: laser earring racks
Laser cut plywood earring racks with a fitting magpie on top, ready for your collection:
day 82: hell bent for breakfast
Any Judas Priest fans out there? Here's my tribute to the classic album; this is how I feel before breakfast every day.
day 83: gratitude
To Bill Jamison: thanks for four years of very unserious art, travel, outdoor adventures, and love. Click here to view this photo book larger
day 81: more rings
day 80: tiny gem ornaments
day 79: star ornaments
day 78: more laser earrings
day 77: mt. kimball, tuscon
More snapshots, this time from a hike to Mt. Kimball, Pima Canyon, Tuscon, Arizona: blood was spilled, but good times were had.
day 76: raerae visits
Snapshots from a fun visit to the Grand Canyon with my mom:
day 75: bunny love
More sketches for holiday cards:
day 74: moosing around
Some sketches for holiday cards:
day 73: goodbye typography
day 72: hello typography
day 71: guy fawkes fox costume and mask
Here's my Guy Fawkes fox mask for Halloween, complete with homemade cape: Special thanks to Wintercroft UK for this excellent fox mask pattern and to the Crescent Ballroom for a fantastic Halloween party. Now, remember, remember the fifth of...
day 70: phoenix art museum
Snapshots from a recent visit: Favorites were Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Room and the ceramic piece Movement of Nature by Fujikasa Satoko, 2013, made of stoneware. Special thanks to Travis Ivey...
day 69: grids
More fun with Adobe Illustrator's Live Paint, blends, rectangular grids, and transparency:
day 68: waste not tiles
Leftovers from manufacturing are a pet peeve of mine, so I used some of Bill's scraps, stain, and Sharpie markers for these coasters/small tiles.
day 67: test tiles
Bill and I tested some ceramic bisqueware in the laser with interesting results:
day 66: earring rack
day 65: antelope canyon
Lower Antelope Canyon is one amazing place. Page, Arizona is a little out of the way, but it's well worth the visit.
day 64: family visit
My sister, brother-in-law, and niece visited Arizona for the first time last week, so we traveled to the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon on a whirlwind tour of some of the desert's beautiful sights. [gallery type="rectangular"...
day 63: caterpalomino
Adobe Illustrator makes even the craziest late-night thoughts a possibility, like this mashup of a caterpillar and a Palomino horse.
day 62: share the road
Just a friendly reminder to keep an eye out for your friends and neighbors on their bicycles this fall as the light wanes.
day 61: sequintial
With Halloween on the way, I've had sequins and sequences on my mind.
day 60: alphabetical
The International Radiotelephonic Spelling Alphabet (AKA NATO Phonetic Alphabet) was made into a poster at O'Neil Printing, so I made my own version of this very-helpful life tool.
day 59: lumi inkodye
I tried my hand at Lumi's Inkodye technique during a Meetup as a part of Phoenix Design Week, hosted by Gangplank Chandler. Using tape as a resist, I painted the Inkodye (blue, orange, and red) directly onto a new, unwashed cotton tee, exposed it in the bright sun for...
day 58: o’neil printing
Phoenix Design Week featured a tour of celebrated O'Neil Printing. Their digital 4 color plus clear ink press really wowed all the designers: so many possibilities at much lower quantities than traditional offset. The die-cut machine, basically unchanged for many...
day 57: bunnell rings, part 2
Here's the final piece for Bunnell Street Gallery's 10x10 exhibition: laser cut wood, glue. UPDATE: My piece is in good company on Bunnell Street Arts Center's web store: check it out here!
day 56: sky train terrazzo
The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Public Art Program hosted a tour of the Phoenix Airport's Sky Train terrazzo floors and the glass murals by Prof. Dan Mayer of ASU, as well as the other artists involved. Advance Terrazzo of Phoenix also shared their...
day 55: augustine books
Two books created for A Buncha Book Artists member show at the Harry Wood Gallery from Oct. 27-Nov. 4. Laser cut plywood with various stains and thread. Smaller book measures 5.5x3.5"; larger book is 8.5x5.5". I imagined these as hardcover and pocket paperback...
day 54: ain’t life grand?
We've done the undoable: Bill and I hiked from the South Rim to the Colorado River and back in one day. From South Kaibab to the Black Bridge took 2.5 hours; from there back to the rim via the Bright Angel trailhead took another 4 hours for a grand total of 16 miles...
day 53: laser loom & rotary engraver
One step on the road to backstrap weaving: the laser loom. Bonus: rotary engraving on pint glasses, water bottles, and more!
day 52: book artist laurie alpert
A Buncha Book Artists (ABBA) hosted the wonderful Laurie Alpert from Curry College at the Arizona State University School of Art. She showed slides and shared some of her recent accordion books that feature techniques like pronto plates, joomchi, and paper string plus...
day 51: long arm quilter
TechShop Chandler features a CNC long arm quilter that I hope to use very soon. This HQ Avante 18 can handle a king-size quilt and can be used as a free-motion or CNC machine.
day 50
50 down, 315 to go!
day 49: bunnell rings
Laser cut wood for Bunnell Street Art Center's 10x10 exhibition:
day 48: en pointe
More studies, this time for patchwork quilt squares.
day 47: polar grid
Studies in color and composition made with Adobe Illustrator's polar grid tool:
day 46: quiltin’
Preparatory sketches for a queen-size quilt featuring a map of Anchorage.
day 45: reflection
Today I'm harkening back to my summer visit to beautiful Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, Alaska. 45°F and sunny with Mr. Shakespeare at hand: perfect summer beach weather and reading on the Aleutians. Quote from Julius Caesar, font by Lost Type Collective.
day 44: air apparent
James Turrell ASU Skyspace: Air Apparent The placement of James Turrell's new Skyspace: Air Apparent on the ASU Tempe campus near “three of the most sophisticated science facilities on Earth” was not an accident. Faculty and research staff in Interdisciplinary Science...
day 43: zodiac snake
"Each Chinese zodiac sign and the order they rank in was decided by the mythical Jade Emperor and his favourite creature, the rat. When the task of choosing the [twelve] zodiac animals fell to the Emperor, he asked the rat to help him. The resourceful rat decided that...
day 42: castaway cutouts
These vector versions of paper cutouts are preparation for a piece for Bunnell Street Gallery in Homer, Alaska. Their 10x10 member exhibition and fundraiser opens in November 2014. [gallery type="rectangular"...
day 41: first friday
First Friday Phoenix: the largest art walk in the country and total mayhem.
day 40: art walk palmer
The Palmer Art Walk takes place every second Saturday. Spearheaded by the indomitable Selena Ortega-Chiolero, executive director of the Palmer Museum of History and Art, this event has grown every month and incorporates fine art, performance art, and community...
day 39: ikat-ish
Today's design: an ikat-ish pattern made with Adobe Illustrator.
day 38: postal
When did you last write a letter to a friend?
day 37: paper earrings
These laser-cut earring prototypes are made of tag board and stemmed from the iterations and more iterations I made with Adobe Illustrator. Eventually I'd like to cut them from wood: they're nice and lightweight, made of recycled materials, and a change from the usual...
day 36: flatiron
Bill & I ventured up Flatiron this weekend, a popular trail into the Superstition Mountains in Lost Dutchman State Park. A heavy rainfall the night was still flowing down the gulleys, fattening up all the cacti, tempering the temperatures, and making for a...
day 35: laser star cabinet
One more small project I made at TechShop Chandler was a test of a vector pattern on a small cabinet drawer face. I still have so much to learn about the capabilities of this tool, and these little pieces have been just a dip into the vast pool of possibilities....
day 34: mountain laser, continued
As promised, here's the final piece from day 33's vector drawings. The engraving, on a melamine-coated fiberboard cabinet door, took 90 minutes, much longer than anticipated, but produced some wonderful unexpected details. [gallery type="rectangular"...
day 33: mountain laser
Today's design should actually come to fruition tomorrow at TechShop Chandler: a laser test pattern set up for a melamine door from the ReStore in Mesa.
day 32: more iterations
More iterations made with Adobe Illustrator's Pattern Brush tool.
day 31: iterations
I had some technical difficulties, so this belated post is just a quick design made using Adobe Illustrator CC's updated pattern brush tool.
day 30: bee lab
I tagged along on a class field trip to the ASU Bee Lab today and enjoyed an extraordinary tour led by Dr. Osman Kaftanoglu, who generously shared the research happening there and the hard-earned honey of his 120 hives with us. [gallery type="rectangular"...
days 23-29: oklahoma
I just returned from an interesting visit to McCurtain County, Oklahoma, and, as promised, here are the challenge entries I missed. day 23: intro to broken bow Broken Bow, Oklahoma was quite the cultural experience; it also impressed me with the beauty of its forests,...
day 21: introduction to lasers
I've made it to three weeks in, and today's project should lead to a lot of exciting pieces in the 324 days to come. I just became a member of TechShop Chandler and took an intro class with instructor Jared to use their Universal laser machines: these CNC babies cut,...
day 20: gem calendar
Today's post is the continuation of some sketches and prints that I've been meaning to make into a calendar. Gem and geometric patterns like this are mighty popular right now, and I'm totally into the trend. If you like 'em, I'll finish the series and produce them in...
day 19: chinese zodiac
Just a series of Sharpie drawings for today: my favorite animals from the Chinese zodiac, tiger, ox, goat, snake, and pig.
day 18: holidays, shmolidays
Phew: almost missed my deadline this evening! Here are sketches for holiday cards that I worked up in Illustrator. I'd like to use these concepts for some hand-drawn art cards.
day 17: hex pattern
It's back to graphic design today with this continuous pattern in four colorways, made in Adobe Illustrator. If you'd like to use it, contact me for the source file. AI's new pattern tool makes this a lot easier than it used to be, but it's still a fun challenge....
day 16: plaster master
I'm bending the rules again today for another two day project: slipcast Christmas ornaments, made from a three-part plaster mold. I'm hoping to make ornaments en masse in preparation for the holidays, so this was a practice run for more serious casting. Below are...
day 15: sneaky
Well, after one week in, I'm already bending the rules a little, but this piece took a little while to come to fruition: just a panel of orderly snakes, painted in free latex house paint from the municipal hazardous waste recycling program, on a $5 hollow-core door...
day 14: portfolio update
Today, I met with the great people of The Design Idea and presented my work in my updated portfolio: vinyl decals, recycled paper, and great memories of projects with friends and clients. I also had a great visit to the Icehouse in downtown Phoenix, ate the Bear at...
day 13: lines
Today's challenge: line, in 2D and 3D! The illustration is from a letter to a very wonderful friend, and the string ornaments are prototypes for holiday decorations.
day 12: campus at night
ASU's campus at night:
day 11: coral messenger
Coral is one of my favorite natural patterns, but this coral's in white, just like many of the ocean's reefs. This is my small statement in favor of protecting our marine habitats in conjunction with artists like Olek, who make work to raise awareness about...
day 10: sedona, continued
Xanadu egg houses, cult leaders, pagan deer statues, crystal shops, vortices, psychotropic plants, nude hippies, natural arches, and red stone cathedrals: Sedona's still on my mind a day after visiting, so I had to make up another postcard featuring these highlights.
day 9: postcard from sedona
I finally visited famed Sedona, AZ yesterday, hence this belated postcard featuring beautiful Cathedral Rock. I hiked to Devil's Arch, basked on a warm rock by Oak Creek, stalked tarantulas through tall grass, and, overall, enjoyed a good day outdoors with 10,000...
day 8: la croix earrings
One day at Target, my sister and I spotted 12-packs of La Croix on sale, and we bought 25. These 90's inspired earrings are made of sterling silver findings and one of many leftover aluminum cans from my liquid obsession.
day 7: shorts
At long last, I finished two pairs of shorts, just in time for my end-of-day deadline. From Vogue pattern 9008, I had some trouble finding the right size and relearning how to install a zipper fly, but overall, I'm pretty happy with these. JoAnn Fabrics provided the...
day 6: wire and energy
Bill's class at ASU will be working with wire for their next assignment, so I'm the test student again. This time, I made a wire agave plant: they're all over Arizona in as many forms and colors as you can imagine. Anything that's the source of both agave syrup and...
day 5: alaska run for women
The Alaska Run for Women will celebrate 22 years of fighting breast cancer and supporting survivors in 2015. This is my submission for their design contest: it's a great event of which to be a part, whether you're a runner, a walker, or a supporter in a tutu and...
day 4: heat
Adjusting to Arizona's climate has been a little rough for a redhead, but Tempe's food tries very hard to make up for it. My skin and the many yummy foods found right outside my door have a lot in common: we're thoroughly cooked. Arizona State University already...
day 3: quilling & origami
Another part of Bill's papercut assignment was to test out quilling. My homemade toothpick quilling tool (per these instructions) worked really well, but it's definitely not a technique for the impatient. I made the origami box per my mom's old trick of making holiday...
day 2: papercuts
Today, Bill had me test out an assignment for his 3D design class at ASU. The challenge: create a 12"x12" relief using paper with a natural (animal, vegetable, or mineral) inspiration. I chose to use photos of the desert southwest national parks that I took a few...
beginning the challenge
I've decided to start a year-long creative endeavor: a daily design, drawing, or photo posted here. No chickening or weaseling out allowed! Day 1: sharks vs. the Spring Classic, an annual frisbee golf tournament.