... The Almost Final Quilters Collateral

Whoot Whoot!

The design has been finalized by the director, Chrissie Addison. The only thing left for me to do is to go to a rehearsal and take a new photos of the actors. The last blog version included a picture of the cast that was not indicative of the production's script ... it is truly a lively musical.

Below is the poster ....quasi-finally-finished. I have also completed the Constant Contact email too...  that one is also waiting for the new picture.

I've also did the postcard design (below) to be mailed and handed out by the actors and staff. After the cast shot inclusion.

Front.                      Back

As of this date I have created the show logo, the quarter page fliers for audition notices, a small flier to hand out to the public during parades and such, the background 'ancient paper', the business cards, the Constant Contact email to be sent out and  the poster.

Whew!  A labor of love, let me tell you.


Something tells me there WILL be more. Chuckle.

So go to www.it-tickets.org   The tickets are on sale now and you can choose the seat you want.

...more challenges with the QUILTER'S collateral

Well, we are now getting down to the wire. Some of you have followed my travails in creating the logo for Quilters, the musical based upon the true stories of pioneer women.

This was designed last spring.

Well, the show has now been cast with delightfully talented women and I cannot WAIT to see the show. But, in the mean time, I've gotten back on my graphics horse and have to have the finished poster done by Friday.... Yikes!

But, yours truly has been pushing herself hard.

One cool thing that the director, Chrissie Addison, wanted was the background of the poster to look like old OLD aged paper.  Now how in the heck-aroo will I do that?   So me puts on me think'n cap and came up with a novel approach.  Take a brown paper grocery shopping bag, crinkle it up a lot and then scan it and tweak it in Photo Shop.

Yesterday I sent her the poster 1 and she sent me back changes. The background was a wave of sepia colors.  Today I did the crunched paper bag thing and it took three scans to get what I wanted. At one point I had to iron the center of the paper because it was TOO wrinkled.  lol. Today I made the her changes and created two posters. One that I liked and one that she had added a tweak or two.

 

So here they are.  What do YOU think? I think I like them both equally well.
So which ever one she chooses will be fine with me.

Oh, and an added note. We both are not fond of the grim looks on the actors faces. I also didn't like that blob of white in the upper corner. Takes the focus away from the girls.  The daughter on the right was way to far to the right and I had to crop her out and move her to the left. 
Chrissie's been given the new parameters for the 'happy' photo. Then I can create another logo and the poster will be done. Yea!

The MoJo is BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, my darling Phil...It has taken me over 22 months to get my passion back for my art since you passed out of my life. Oh, I have been a maker of jewelry, that is true. Yet, the excitement, joy, creativity bursts, passion and sheer devotion to my work has been hit or miss. I hadn't had the fervor of needing to be in the studio at all times.

Well, during the El Dorado County Artist's Studio Tour this past September It came back with a thunderous boom.  I had a sketch of a ring... even had the some of the parts made and the gemstones living in a glass dish.... for weeks. During the tour I had two other artists that worked in glass join me at my home as guests.

I knew I needed fresh work and did make some wire dangle earrings with beads. But during the tour I showed them and some clients this 'work in progress' and while I was talking I had flashes of insights of techniques I could use to finish the project.

So, after the Tour I sat down opened up some Art Clay Silver and processed the ring three times until it all came together just the way I wanted.  Better than I hoped, actually.

I hope the neighbors didn't mind the "whoops", "woots", "yeas" and "wowzers" that came out of my mouth. 

The LEGEND SERIES WAS BORN.

The next day I made glass samples and realized that I needed a ceramic form. My good friend Chris Navratil came over and GAVE me some ceramic clay and I then went to town and made a new slump form, fired it and put many layers of kiln was on it. I ground the glass, fire polished and slumped pieces over my new form.   I then made new rings from Art Clay and set the glass 'stones' into the rings and fired, polished and took photos.

Happy camper here.

Loooooooog break!

I cannot believe that I haven't written a blog entry since July.  My bad.

Living in the incredible Sierrra foothills has been such a blessing.  I love the weather, the beautiful sunrises and the people... amazing.  The animals are delightful too.

I went out the front door today to get some firewood for my new insert and I frightened off this lovely (and studly) deer.  Everytime I surprise him he takes off for a few yards and turns and looks at me.  I am awed.  Then I get silly and baby-talk him.  I like having him around... it is comforting. Crimey... will I ever grow up? I...think...not....!

This afternoon I was heading for the front door again and hesitated..."Is he still here?" I thought. So I peeked out the front window and saw that lovely animal sleeping not five feet away from me.  It was getting on to dusk and I shot it through the window. So the pic is pretty bad.

It is such an honor having this beautiful animal trust my home area.
Not to mention he likes my trees that are tasty and hide him from the road.

Here is another shot I took last week.

sigh.....

At night he sleeps across the area and faces the window.  He can see me through the picture window ...
and stays there as long as he can stand it.
I am going to put some water out for him tomorrow... if he ever takes off.

And while I am on to photos.... here is a sunrise I caught a few Sundays ago. I remember being in the office using the computer in the mornings and Phil would sit on the side of the bed and call to me, "Hey, Lorrene... look at the sunrise".....  Well after what I saw off my front porch that last Suday morning, I looked to the sky and said, " Hey Phil.... got it honey?"
I like this shot so much I made it into one of my art cards for sale in the Gallery.

From my front porch..... amazing.

I will post some jewelry shots and a tutorial when I get back from Chicago.

A small break in the creative life...

This coming weekend I get to run away to South Lake Tahoe, stay in the Horizon and go to see Sugarland in concert. I will be on holiday with two other couples. This should be good.  I have my son working around the house all weekend ... he is slurrying my driveway... so I cannot be around to walk on it anyway.  So, I get to see someone else be creative. I've been listening to their music all week and am jazzed about seeing them in person... albeit probably very far away and they will be very, very, tiny.

Here they are....CLICK.... you won't regret it.  ..... "All I wanna do...."

That said, I got to go to our local theater, last night, and watch 'Anne Frank'. It was wonderful.  Three of my actor buddies from last December's .Beauty and the Beast' were in the show. Now, just how much fun was THAT? They did get me teary eyed... powerful theater experience.

Got some good news from the California State Fair Fine Arts Division... I got an Award of Merit for my entry called Cologne #3.  I will miss the awards ceremony... I will be in Burlingame at a 40th Belly Button party for my nephew - the chef.  This should be great. 

Cologne #3

On Sunday, the 18th, we will be at the Legion of Honor to see the impressionist work on loan from the Musee' D'orsy... we missed that venue when we were in Paris in  2002.
Then in August I will back at my sis's for a family reunion.  Then at the end of August I will have a house sitter here while I join three other couples on the Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska.... Yeah!!! 

Wish my Mr. Phil was still around to join me. Sigh.

Then on to Chicago for a Masters Retreat with Art Clay World.  In the mean time I need to get my presentation, workshop syllabus and PowerPoint presentation for July 2011 Metal Clay World Conference outside Chicago. They want to get the website ready by the end of next week.

Whew!  That's all folks for now.  I think.

The Making of Quilters Collateral Part VIII

Hey Things are going a bit faster now that Chrissie and Roger have given the final approval of the logo.

Yesterday I made up a quickie business card, Chrissie gave three suggestions and today I have completed it.  Those dratted PhotoShop paths. Haven't done them since 2007. But, it all came back and I created a path around the logo, made an EPS file and loaded it on the sepia (see leather) background and the white around the logo disappeared.

Voila!

Here 'tis.

The 2011 Quilters Musical Show Business Card

Next up for me will be the start of the poster, then the postcards and finally the Constant Contact email about the show.

If you want to see the emailer, let me know at ljd@lorrenedavisdesigns.com - I'll make sure you get a copy.

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART VII

Next.... tuck the threads of the 'Q' away... good idea. Make them black... better. Make them the same thickness... more of a challenge... 


So now we need to have some words around the logo .... lets people know a bit of what the show is about. Now THAT is a very good suggestion...

I sent Chrissie three different views and she and Roger sent me back some minor changes.  I did this today and sent it off to them.   We'll see ....

The Making of Quilters Logo PART VI

Now we are on to a flier that Chrissie (Madam Director of the winter 2011 musical, Quilters) wanted for the El Dorado County Fair last weekend.

The fair was awesome this year, by the way, the weather was Spring-ish, a light breeze and the chicken display was so incredible.  If I knew how to upload photos from my camera I would post them now. LOTs of chicken photos. They can be so beautiful....
don't take my word for it. Go to your county fair this year and check them out....  Okay, okay, on to the Quilters flier.

Chrissie wanted to have some pertinent info on the flier: dates of production, where to get tickets/more information, audition dates, call-back dates and the logo (of course). To keep costs down, she wanted everything in grey scale.

Well, one of the most important facets of the flier and future poster was the font style.  The show takes place during the 'westward ho' time of our country and all the fonts during that time were .... well .... old time-y.

In other words BUSY....! Yikes, we want people to read the words, go out and audition or go and see the show.  So, I made an administrative decision.  Eurostile.  It took me quite a while to pick out the right shape 'Q' for the logo in the first place.  I was following the sketch that Roger Filippelli (madame director's husband and artist extraordinaire) drew. Then I had made the Q taller in InDesign to allow the faces of the future actors in the show to be inserted.  Part of me felt that the font was the least important part of the whole package and HAD to be easily read.  ... well, duh?

So, yours truly was exceptionally lucky. Chrissie liked it on the first go round, except for one spelling error.  And, I felt that I needed to add the Imagination Theater's website. After those two fixes we had a two sided flier.

What'cha think?

 Clarity IS lost when converted to a small dpi image.
Oh, well.... here 'tis.

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART V

Okay, so Chrissie (The Director of the musical) and I got together again recently and worked on this logo thing-y.  She had some really great ideas on how she wanted the pattern to be placed inside the Q. We sat at the computer and came up with a very cool look.

Then she took a gander at the old time-y wagon that I had turned into a sepia tone inside the Q.  She had me fade out a bit of the building behind the wagon and - voila!  Perfection.  The colors look like fabric, the log cabin block pattern is recognizable and the colors are what she chose.

So thus far we have a logo for the show.  Until the show is cast.... and then I will be inserting photos of the actors inside the hollow area of the Q.

I am very happy with the whole look.

Next on to a greyscale quarter page flier.....

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART IV

So, we are still working on this logo... I would like to really get this down soon. Chrissie and I are meeting tomorrow for about an hour to put the finishing touches on the logo. After that we'll play with the rest of the image.

In the mean time .........

I got to run away for a few days to South Lake Tahoe.... our Sacramento Regional polymer guild, Clayville-California had a retreat at the incredible Zephyr Point Conference center. I had four glorious days of making new big bead necklaces and the inspiration was all around us. There is a new African Mud Cloth technique I need to make. A great artist by the name of Kim Swearington from Reno gave a demonstration on her development of this art form. I have already new ideas on how to tweak this technique that will fit my needs as an artist. So..... anyhooo, back to Quilters.

The next review by Chrissie and Roger mentioned that the quilt patches should be larger inside the Q... so that is what I've worked upon.  The quilt is no longer 'balanced' because I had evenly spaced the blocks to fill the area in my last post.  But, quilts aren't truly perfect ... now are they?

Also, I made the 'cloth' texture deeper.  When the logo is reduced to, say business card size, the texture just might still be visible.  So here it is so far...

And then I had to play.....

Now off to a Gallery meeting and then dinner.

As usual..... 'nuff for now.

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART III

So, I got a lovely email from Chrissie and Roger with some comments and ideas about the logo and the changes they would like to see.


I liked what they had to say.  It would be cool to have the fabric color in the log cabin patch be patterned like cloth.... but I don't have the fabric to scan and it would take me an incredible amount of time to add art to each of the colors.  Then, when the logo is reduced for business cards the image would get muddy. They also wanted the 'blocks' larger and some of them reversed. They noted that the quilt inside of the 'Q' looked more like a plaid... they were right.


Therefore I opted to give it more of a 'heavy' texture in Photoshop.  That will disappear too.. but it will look very cool in the poster.


I also took it upon myself to give the 'Q' more height....in hindsight I saw that the sketch had a taller letter. I think this will be good and allow room for the sepia-toned covered wagon that will go in the center. Then later after the show is cast we will have the actor's images inserted for the rest of the collateral that will be passed around.


So, here is the first one with the lighter cloth-like 'texture'.  The Q still needs some tweaking... later.

We'll see what they have to say.... I am kind of fond of the changes they made.


The color of the thread will be the main text color... Either Teal, dark brown and/or deep red.
The second logo shown below is with the thicker texture.  The only problem with these 'textures' is that they get really muddy when reduced.


That said, I can always use the logo withOUT texture. That would be successful when the work calls for a major reduction in size.  So, for now, I am building it for the poster....




Okay, another 4 hours gone.


Again, 'nuff for today.

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART II

Part II

So I took a day off yesterday, finished some beading and then went to the movies with a dear artist friend and saw the chick flick "Letters to Juliette"... the scenery was fantastic. Liked the movie - tho the ending was a bit corny.  Makes one want to run, not walk, over to Tuscany and see the sights, drink the wine, taste the cheese and look at all the pretty young men.  She came over to my cottage and we had wine and dinner and talked girl talk and yapped  about the differences between men and women and if we even wanted to have the angst, heartache, exhilaration and joy of dating again.... but, hey, that is another blog.

This morning I got rejuvenated with my exercise program and decided to jump right back into the designing of the logo for my dear friend and director of the show, Chrissie Addison.  She and her artist husband, Roger Filippelli, worked out a sketch of what they wanted and, with some input by me, we came up with a general outline for the poster, business cards and all around collateral for the musical QUILTERS. 

I know, I know the show isn't starting until the Winter of 2011, but publicity has already been flowing into the media. We need fliers for audition notices, business cards for the staff and actors, hand-outs for the actors to share with the production dates and most importantly the posters to hang in businesses prior to and during the show.

So you can see by the sketch we have a great idea forming. Then they said for me to go forth and create.  How cool is that?

....But have the logo done by the first of June.  Well, that's not happening.  I do have a pretty good start on it and should have it done by the 8th. Who knows, if she likes it ... then it is done... the logo that is.

In the PART I blog I wrote about how I searched online and found the Log Cabin quilt pattern and incorporated Chrissie's colors she chose. Today was a loooooong process of finding the right Q font to use, change it, arrange the log cabin blocks, add the needle and thread and then go into Photoshop and fill the Q with the 'Log Cabin quilt'.  The following image is of the InDesign work that I did.

The next image is what I have come up with so far. I sure hope she likes it... Lots of time and work.  Everyone thinks that graphics are easy with Photoshopping and all. But, it DOES take time.The cmyk info is on the page and on all the paint chips from the store.  I need to always have the color formulas down pat. I did the same with the Log Cabin block too. Those hues were blended by me to match the color scheme of Chrissie's. All the main text in the work will be in the burgundy color of the thread.

Okay, 'nuff for today.

The Making of a Quilters Logo PART I

About a month or so ago, a dear friend asked me to work on her production for 2011. Not as an actor (drat) but as the graphic artist to create the collateral for the show.

Anything to be part of a musical production.

Quilters is a lovely musical about a woman, her girls and how they survived and lived on the prairie during the opening up of America. It has the different quilt patches brought out by each one as they sing and talk of they life they are living. At the end of the show a large quilt is raised and it is comprised of all the 'life' patches of the family.

Our community is very involved. The quilting guilds are donating fabric some of which is really old material... some of the cloth is from the actual era that the show is portraying. Others will be making the quilts for the actors to use.  It is an exciting production to be involved with, even though it is only as a graphic artist.  Sigh.

Okay. If I can stay on top of this blog series I will be taking you through the process of getting a logo made, the poster started, the business cards created and then fliers or postcards to be handed out by the actors, crew and production staff.... should be interesting.

We met a while ago and they gave me their inspiration for the collateral that I will be creating. I was delighted that they gave me some creative license.  I asked for:

• 
  
  Deadlines
• 
  
  Color choices for the logo and poster background
• 
  
  How many items are to be produced by me
• 
  
  What quilt pattern was to be the background for the logo

I had a sweet packed of color swatches from The Home Depot delivered to me and today I started.  They chose the log cabin pattern and I googled and binged until I found a free pdf outline of the log cabin design. I placed it into Photoshop and did my best to eye up the colors that the director chose.  As you see above.

Now on to InDesign to work on the next step.....

Patina Tips and Tricks

It is CARNIVAL time again!

We are a group of jewelry artists working in various mediums who have chosen different topics to write on as a group. This event takes place about the same time each month. Why not visit the other artists listed below the following blog.

This Friday's topic is: Patina Tips & Tricks!

Well, I must start this blog off by being completely honest. Patina's are not my 'thing'. So, if you are looking for some amazing techniques.... look at the other blogs at the end of this missive. You will find some amazing artists' teachings on how they get their incredible colors on their work AND how they play with the color levels to achieve their glorious works unique look.

I must confess, though, to being a silver snob. Pure fine silver is the whitest of all the precious metals. Whitest and brightest. Just set a piece of polished fine silver next to a polished platinum work. KaPOW!!!! Hmmm? Amazing. I think this 'elitist' attitude comes from my classical training as a goldsmith/metalsmith. I love the beauty of the materials... so:

WHY HIDE THE INCREDIBLE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE SILVER? Oops! Sorry! I just HATE it when somebody shouts at me... did you hear the passion tho?

I love the shine, the reflectiveness and the brilliance of this noble metal... Period. But, there are pieces that need, no, call out for patina. And that is when the artist in me runs and grabs the torch or liver of sulfur or silver black and plays with the work with an 'intuitive paint brush'.

That said, let me tell you what I do like about the patina effect and share how I achieve the look I like. First off, I love the way patinas can be altered with a simple polishing cloth. After the patina has been applied, I gently rub off the color on the raised areas of the work. This gives a great depth to the jewelry that cannot be achieved with texture alone.

So, I generally use liver of sulfur (LOS) and keep it warm on my warming dish. A coffee warmer pad works well too. I sometimes add a bit of ammonia to the mix too, oh and some table salt. Close by is some ice water and some sodium bicarbonate (Arm and Hammer) diluted in water.First, though, I make sure that my work is finished enough that I could place it in a gallery as is. In other words, it is textured, polished and all stone setting is completed. Then I dip the work into the LOS and pull it out several times until the color has just reached the level of my choosing. Then I quickly dip the work into the Sodium Bicarbonate and then into the ice water. This stoppes the patina process. After it is dry, I then use the polishing cloth to achieve my final look.

Silver Black is just that. One paints it into the areas of choice. Those areas become pitch black.

Torching is also just that. I use a bushy flame on my copper and titanium work to create waves of color.

All in all, I am truly a maker of Shiny work. My ancestors must have kept crows as pets.

Silly me!

...




Do click on the blogs listed below. These artists have incredible work and wonderful tips to share today..


Tonya Davidson
Tamra Gentry
Vickie Hallmark
Elaine Luther
Lora Hart

The Most Technically Difficult Piece I've Made

It's Carnival Time Again!

This Friday's topic is: What is the most difficult piece you've ever made, from a technical perspective? describe why it was so challenging.

We are a group of jewelry artists working in various mediums who have chosen different topics to write on as a group.This event takes place about the same time each month. Why not visit the other artists listed below the following blog.

In the Fall of 2008 I wanted to create a competition work of art that was also a celebratory piece honoring my husband's and my thirty-fifth wedding anniversary. Of course I didn't start it with lots of time.... nah, I always have to wait until the last moment. So, instead of shipping the work to Chicago for the North American Design competition (NAD) I took it with me when I flew back for a Masters Symposium with Art Clay World.

And no, I didn't win anything in the competition. But that is okay for I enjoyed the process of designing this work AND figuring out the engineering progression of building it so it would wear beautifully. Besides... it was made for our anniversary.

The theme of the competition was Celebration.... So I wanted to have 'streamers' of confetti-like wire working it's way around the silver. This style is technically a variation of a torque. A torque is a neckpiece that wraps around the neck and is solid except for a hinge in the back or front.

The important thing to remember about designing a new work in jewelry is 'how will I make it from the sketch?' or, as I like to call it, reverse engineering. I like to draw out a work and then make a list to the side charting out what I have to do to build the work and in what order should they be done. This prevents the bad oral verbage when this artist finds out she cannot do a particular process because it was not planned properly.


Okay, that said, I bent some 12 gauge argentium wire to fit my neck and shoulders, Wrapped two layers of argentium 18 wire in a celebratory manner around the 12 gauge. I started and stopped the latter wire at the areas where the clasp and hinges were to be located. I then fired the work for a short time to get the copper (Cu) to the surface of the argentium. Argentium has very little Cu in its alloy in relation to standard sterling silver. Instead of the full amount of Cu the metallurgists added germanium to the mix. When the argentium is heated and the Cu removed the germanium and fine silver are on the surface of the wire and the tarnishing factor of the metal is then reduced greatly. I removed the Cu firescale by boiling the piece in white vinegar. I am not a fan of Sparex (very caustic acid).

After cutting the work into two half circles I created a hinge for the back of the neck using fine silver tubing and added quartz crystal beads to the hinge ends instead of riveting. It is much more feminine that way. Then I created a hook on one end of the front wire. This became a gravity clasp. I spent the most time on this portion because I didn't want to have it open on me when I wore it. Then I created the shield in metal clay from Art Clay World that was to hold both mine and my husbands birthstones. The back of this shield element is as decorative as the front. And the 'hook' from the other wire fit onto a specially constructed area in the back of the shield.


I added three diamonds to the work as well as the small peridots. Any three things in my life be they flowers, stones, fingers or dots signify I LOVE YOU. All stones were fired in place ... except the amethyst, it was set post firing. To make the work more exciting I covered several areas of the 'confetti' with Art Clay Silver Overlay Paste and then added droplets of paste clay. This way the wire is not just wrapped around the 12 gauge but also has a small and very subtle 'texture'. One who works with metal clay can understand that this work went through many, many firings. The last element I added was a quartz briolette to dangle off the end of the shield. This signified our quest to find our higher spiritual self that we began in the 1980's.


I finished it at the end of October, went to Chicago, then we madly packed for our European trip, we left on November 20th and he passed out of my life on December 5th.



I have never worn it.


I don't think I can.


But, it sits in my studio as a reminder of our wonderful life together and his incredible support of anything I did with the metal clay, polymer clay. live theater or any jewelry I created.


...

Do visit the following artist's blogs and see what they have to say on this subject.


Andes Cruz
Lora Hart
Tonya Davidson
Tamra Gentry
Vickie Hallmark
Elaine Luther
Angela badude-Crispin

Treasured Jewelry Item That Is Not My Design.

It is Carnival Time Again!

This January, the topic is: ”What is your most treasured piece of jewelry that you personally own, that is not your own personally created work?”







We are a group of jewelry artists working in various mediums who have chosen different topics to write on as a group.This event takes place about the same time each month. Why not visit the other artists listed below the following blog.


After I became a goldsmith (1988) and we had a gallery of jewelry and fine art, I arranged to have classes every now and then in the studio portion of our gallery. In 1996 I took a class at the Revere Academy in Metal Clay and then had a polymer clay artist give a workshop in our gallery. I became instantly addicted to BOTH clays. I became obsessed with both mediums and buried myself in the education and creation of new work. Then after a bit I gave workshops in both clays in our gallery.

Being in the art jewelry business, one of my favorite magazines (and still is) is Ornament. It is comprised of many beautiful articles on what artists are doing to ornament our bodies with various forms of jewelry and textile art. I have kept my treasured Ornament that featured the incredible work of Kathleen Dustin. I am smitten with here original, artful and feminine creations.

Our local (Sacramento Region) polymer guild has had her make the trek from the East Coast to Sacramento for two wonderful workshops. Can you guess that I attended both?



Well, I HAD to buy a pin/brooch from her. This is my favorite work. It is colorful, sensual, tactile, translucent and a balanced work of art. She is also a very grounded and 'real' person. One wants to be her friend because she is what she is. She has no 'star' persona in her aura. No elitist attitude. Just Kathleen. Yet, she is truly a star in the polymer clay community... by artists as well as collectors.

What a talent.

















Do visit the following blogs and see what they have to say on this subject.

Andes Cruz
Lora Hart
Tonya Davidson
Tamra Culp
Vickie Hallmark
Elaine Luther