PAUL MERRILL
Some of you may remember that in a previous life, I was a graphic designer. (I still do some design – but that’s less than half of how I spend my working days.)
So a few weeks ago, I got another email newsletter – this one from MyFonts, featuring a typeface called Lady Rene. I saw their little slideshow and just wanted to create. That’s pretty rare.
Did I? Well – I’m producing this blog post. Actually creating something with Lady Rene would cost me $59. But I could emulate her.
Maybe later.
Rachel has the collector gene. I know it. Heather knows it.
These reading glasses broke recently. To avoid her keeping them for an unknown art project to come, I skipped the step that might come a few years down the line and quietly put them in my nearby waste basket.
Yes, you can call me mean, but since she doesn’t read this blog (yet), she won’t hear you. I’m just helping her fight our dreaded collector gene.
Update: check out the comments. Value added – and changed thinking – are reflected there.
I wanted to remind you to visit Tokyobling’s Blog. There are some great photos there – and a reminder that life in Japan is very different than in the US, Africa or Europe.
A very minor shiny bit to leave you with for this long holiday* weekend…
I found it highly amusing that in the latest Communication Arts magazine, there is an entire section devoted to unpublished artwork. How can the works be unpublished when the magazine has published them?
(*Independence Day in the States, to those of you not here.)
…is that you can put up something that does not have to be com-
mercially viable… like this (ugly) photo.
Obviously the post office’s ink jet printer was in need of repair or more ink. But I think the result is way more interesting than if it had printed perfectly.
Takeaway: Remember that perfection is not always best. And think of ways you can vary things up to make them more interesting – without getting too crazy on us!
Jeepneys are the main way people get around in the Philippines. In East Africa, people ride in Matatus. I liked them so much I featured them a fair amount when I lived in Nairobi.
So I came across this photo of a Jeepney in a missionary magazine* – and I was struck by how the artwork was so similar to what could be found on Matatus in downtown Nairobi! It’s just amazing that the influences that shape how artists do their craft are similar, even 6,000 miles (9,500 km) apart!
Not only does matatu art reflect the latest trends in society, it always shows the cutting-edge of young artists’ creativity. (However, some matatu artists are better than others!) Often the several random sayings on one matatu provide a good laugh. One of my fantasies while living in Nairobi was to hire a photographer to take a million photos of matatus – and then I would create a coffee table book out of the best pix. Any angel investors out there willing to chip in?
* (Sorry, there was no credit given to the photographer, or I would have passed that on.)
I had to share her with you. We went on a family hike yesterday near Boulder, Colorado. (That’s about an hour from our home.) I saw this little lady sitting by the edge of the trail. She was begging to be photographed. I obliged.
I was amazed when I saw Rachel doing this the other day – she was tracing the shadows with chalk on our porch. I never would have thought of doing that – but (I thought) it was very creative.