Branding Time

Die at the Helm's

new logo design:

This image was hand drawn with the exception of the text. I drew inspiration from 1920's spot illustrations and the ex-libris art of antique bookplates.

Die at the Helm is about taking the reigns, or gripping that wheel, and steering yourself in the direction you most desire.

Unisex asphalt tees available at Tender Loving Empire (located downtown on the corner of SW Stark and  SW 10th) for $24.

Avast! Flostsam off the starboard! Aweigh the anchor!

Die at the Helm is exploring its nautical roots with a new wallet design.  Maritime merriment can commence with the introduction of these red and blue beauties.

 The seams of every wallet are trimmed and securely reinforced. So weigh anchor, trice your sails, and beware of the captain's daughter.

Wallets are available on my Etsy site and at Tender Loving Empire in downtown Portland.

Illicitly - in a manner disapproved or not allowed by custom.

There is some debate around what qualifies as art. Graffiti is sometimes considered the expression of an artist and other times viewed only as a crime.

This particular image is the result of a brief scribbling with a paint marker. 

I have reworked this vandalism into a tshirt design. I did this at the prompting of a friend who liked the simple anonymous statement.

Straight out of the men's room and into the streets of Portland...

Long Neck. Short Coat.

An African even-toed ungulate, the giraffe is an interesting creature. It was once considered the "queen of beasts" because of its delicate features and fragile form. The giraffe's fur is full of antibiotics and parasite repellents. Although previously considered to be mute, current research now contends that they communicate through infrasound that is not audible to the human ear. They are leggy creatures that seem docile yet are capable of great speeds and of defending themselves.

I was ecstatic when asked to make a laptop bag with a giraffe silhouette.

The bag is made to fit a 10" X 15" x 1" laptop along with a powerchord.It has an adjustable seatbelt strap. The flap is held shut by Velcro.

The flap is made from an outdoor material called Sunbrella. It is a well-suited material since all Sunbrella fabrics are fully recyclable, require no wastewater producing dye, and have received GREENGUARD certification. Giraffes are not yet on any lists of endangered animals, but their habitats are shrinking as a result of human encroachment.

"make me a bag that looks like an old book"

“Ideally a book would have no order to it, and the reader would have to discover his own.” -Mark Twain

I was recently asked to construct a bag that would remind the owner of an old book. Other than wanting plaid, they asked only that the bag be unique. They did not want to know how the project would turn out but rather preferred to let me surprise them. I felt a bit like I had opened one of those choose your own adventure books and hoped it wouldn’t end with me being devoured by some unseen horror.

I must admit that I love the leather covers and the intricate binding of old books. Also, I am usually in awe of the antiquated fonts and the fancy bits of illustrations. It was my aim to honor the craftsmanship of the days of yore without constructing a bag that seemed moth-eaten and dog-eared. I wanted this bag have a classic feel while still looking contemporary.

I used bits of salvaged leather for the closure and on the sides to attach the handle.

The flap is gray and blue plaid wool. The body is made from a dark navy thick cotton. The fasteners are metal and add to the time-less style of the bag.

Collaboration with the Ice Cream Man

Music, ice cream, and community may seem like a strange combination.  But Matt Allen has brought these 3 together. He tours the country, stopping at festivals and concerts to give away free ice cream. His organization has a team of writers, photographers, and ice cream servers. They are busing making people happy one cone at a time.

I was recently recruited to make custom wallets for the Ice Cream Man. The wallets will be available on his website. Here is your sneak peak preview:

 The Ice Cream Cone Billfold

 The Melting Popsicle Billfold

 Ice Cream Man Truck Stencil Billfold

Designing Front Packaging- Archaic Sentiment in a Crumbling Industry

An album cover is the music industry’s equivalent of the New York Time’s front-page photography. It’s big, it’s bold, and it better be good if it is going to get anyone to sit down a take a look at the content. Besides being a marketing ploy, an album cover is also the visual expression of the musical content.

A memorable album cover can even embed the record into music history. Some very creative and rather famous examples of this are the collaged Beatles' “St. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, the Rolling Stones' album “Sticky Fingers” that used real zippers, and Andy Warhol’s peelable banana on the Velvet Underground and Nico’s self-titled release.

I am a music enthusiast and while albums may be supposedly declining in popularity, I still consider the cover design and liner notes to be an integral aspect of the music being released. And thus I was ecstatic when I had the opportunity to make a bid for designing one. Then I was nervously delighted when my idea was accepted.

I know that I am not Robert Mapplethorpe, nor am I Roger Dean, but I did my best to create something that reflected the sentiment of the album while still showing my artistic tendencies.

Here it is:

John Amadon’s album “Seven Stars” is the consummation of 2 years of diligent work and creative focus. I was lucky enough to hear the early versions of most of these songs and watch them develop into this final product. The sentimental lush beauty of the songs filled my ears and left me enrapt even from the first few times that I listened to the the demos.

The album is currently only available online or as a cd Digipak (a recycled cardboard & plastic combination packing). I would be holding my breathe for a Vinyl release but it’s just not going to happen.

You can listen to the album and purchase the digital version here.

You can purchase the cd or download individual songs here.

Now I know that you have already snickered and thought “put a bird on it”. However, I can assure you that I did not just slap some birds on this creative venture. The flock is flying in the shape of Pleiades and the size of each bird reflects the corresponding size of each star. And I shouldn’t need to mention this, but just in case, the rising sun is shrouded in gray clouds for a reason. It is hope being wrapped in a blanket of heavy truths. It speaks to the intent to pursue marching onwards despite whatever setbacks may occur and in spite of the dark natures that cling around us.