Tee Shirt Designs

I'd like to take a second to acknowledge my friends from the post-rock band Deadhorse. Toward the beginning of the month of January they approached me about creating the above tshirt designs for their upcoming tour. Earlier in 2010 they asked me to illustrate the cover of their first studio album, We Can Create Our Own World, and it was a great experience so I was thrilled to lend my efforts once more!

They are also printing a number of shirts featuring the album art as well:

Learn more about them here. They're wonderful, talented people.

Etsy.

I just signed up for an etsy account today.

Yesterday I ran to the craft store to purchase a few things to fabricate little books and journals to sell on my new etsy account. It may take a bit to get things going, but I'm excited to do so.

On a somewhat related note, I saw a commercial on television this morning celebrating MLK Jr and it struck me because it used a quote of his that follows closely along with the mindset I've been adapting lately:

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

It's fitting. I don't really know what's to come as far as a lot of my recent endeavors are concerned, but I do realize that if chances aren't taken I can guarantee that nothing will come to be.

I'm excited.

Cartography

I've been really interested in maps lately, and geography. Maybe this stems from my desire to travel. I bet it does. A couple times in the new year I've had dreams where I'm sitting at a desk plotting out maps. I have no idea what they mean but they're interesting...to say the least.

I drew out a topographic map of my face a couple weeks ago in illustrator and I just got done refining it. Would you like to see it? This is my first attempt at creating anything like this, so while it may not be entirely accurate it was an enjoyable experience.

I want to find some way to relate and intertwine people and geography, cartography, physical location,  metal, and typography...I don't really know why or how, but the concept has been floating around in my head lately. Another half-idea of mine. We'll see what happens.

Commissions, commissions, commissions!

So far the y2011 has offered an explosion of creative opportunities for me. I just finished an illustration for an event that just took place at the Word of Life Christian Center. I've just been commissioned to design and fabricate two wedding rings for a friend, and my friends from the band Deadhorse just approached me about illustrating a few t-shirt designs for their upcoming tour beginning mid-February.

I still need to photograph the Christmas gifts I made for my sisters, as well as the engagement ring I made for my new future brother-in-law. You'll have to forgive me, for I was mighty busy working extra holiday hours at the jewelry store... So much custom work! So many learning experiences! Now that my schedule is streamlining itself once more, I can begin to share some of these things with you on here.

I'm pretty excited!

We'll begin with a few really rough roughs for the Deadhorse tshirt designs: Initial brainstorming phase. I had so many ideas that it was a mad rush to get them all on paper!