Long Hot-July Days

Photoshop fun! These days are finding me logging many hours in this lovely app and developing a true love for it. While I still find Illustrator more "me-friendly" and intuitive, I am slowly but surely learning how powerful it can be. I have also learned that creating a 300 pixel/inch banner that is 28 feet wide by 20 feet high is ONE BIG FILE!! Thankfully the printer is okay with 1/2 sized - but it's still monstrous! Can't wait to see it complete.

Have a good week!

All things Web!

Okay - I have been "done" with school since the 4th.
And I can truly say I was not bored. (I have barely begun to get my house back in order after a semester of neglect, although I did at least get fall clean-up done on the yard :). I was actually enjoying the cleaning and organizing!

None the less, I have signed up to take a 3-week blitz session of Advanced Web design and am loving it! We are exploring CSS3 and HTML5 and I am so glad I decided to jump back in to class. I look forward to applying what I am learning to my own site and another I am working on for a client. FUN!

Housework will always be waiting there for me anyway, right?

Success!!

After much wringing of hands, website success! My site is live!

Find some of my design work online @ tmbrooksdesign.com and let me know what you think!
As I complete additional projects and tackle some new ones - I will be adding to my gallery as well as providing some detail pages. But for tonight (sigh)... I am going to enjoy making it past this hurdle.

Have a great rest of your week!

Spring must be done!

WOW! 85 degrees today. Wasn't last week in the 30's?

I am never prepared for this change and today was no different. I had great intentions of digging in my garden and enjoying the sun. But... my website is causing me a bit of grief (understatement) - so no playing today!

Since I cannot share with you all the fun on my new site, I will share some pics of projects you may have not yet seen. Enjoy!

There is something so fresh about a shiny, new toy - and this Cuisinart is no exception - except that this image was created in Adobe Illustrator and is not a photograph of the real thing! This product specification sheet was a fun project that took a lot of patience and many layers.

This product label redesign features a clear front label that shows through to the back. Since one beauty of this product is its clear formula - a perfect choice in design!


Have a great rest of your week ! Hopefully next time I write - I will be inviting you to my active website!

Rested and Ready to Go!

The portfolio show was a success and wonderfully attended. Other than some rain and the ramp being full (GREAT turnout!) everything went marvelous!

Now - it's time for the next step. Resumes out, follow up calls to be made, refine some projects, polish presentation and I am good to go!
What an exciting time as I start the next phase of this adventure!

My new web site will be launching soon as well. Stay posted and have a great week!

The Home Stretch

It has been a great week so far! (perhaps it's just all the Easter candy)

• The tweaking and refining of projects is done.
• Printing is almost complete. 
• Resumes and business cards are ready to go! 
• The much anticipated arrival of the page strips for the books arrived today.
• And, a photo shoot of the printed product hag tags (see below) came together nicely. 

Acacia Product Tags and Logo Redesign

Not sure, but I might even get a good night's rest before Thursday!
Enjoy the warmer temperatures and I will hopefully see you Thursday at the Terrace.

The website for the Show is live!

How exciting! The Madison Area Technical College Portfolio Show website is up and ready for viewing.

Check it out at www.matcportfolio.com and let me know what you think!

The Invite

The countdown to the Big Show continues with increasing speed!

Here is the invite I created for the upcoming Madison College Portfolio Show.
On April 28th at the Monona Terrace, 4:00-8:00 pm, not only will talented Graphic Design & Illustration students be showing off their best  work, the Photography, Visual Communications-Media Design, Animation-Concept Development, Architectural Technician and Interior Design graduates will be displaying their work as well. Come check it out!

So for the invite, it has a nice feel to it - like a canvas, but you will have to use your imagination for that.

Outside Back - teaser

The full effect

Front - closed

Panels open to reveal inside

 

Enjoy and have a great day!

A Preview of things to come

Portfolio class is in full swing and the countdown to the big show at Monona Terrace on April 28th is coming fast! I am finalizing my personal logo, finessing my resume and getting my business card ready for print.

Here is a sneak peek...

Have a great day!

Spring Promise

Yesterday, I took a little time off from preparing for class and went to the Garden Show at the Expo. It was a breath of fresh air - in several ways. First, I parked a few blocks away and the walk was invigorating, albeit a tad bit windy. I will gladly take these warmer temps and some wind though, any day!

Second, from the moment I stepped foot inside the Expo center, the smell or spring was there. Ahhhh -  fresh. Deep breath in.

Lastly, I just could not resist picking up a beautiful plant to help my spirit survive these February days. Call it a Valentine's Day gift to myself if you must! After last weeks crisis with having to buy a new mac - this is truly a treat!

Here is a peek at what I bought.

Hellebores - Spring Promise

I also tried a new technique with my camera. I had read in one of my photography magazines that if you like macro shots, but can't afford the pricey lens, try taking your standard (mine is a 35-80mm) off and reverse holding on the front. This messes with the others settings, but after some trial and error - this is what I got!

Have a sunny Valentine's Day!

Snow and cold...again.

These are the L O N G days of January and it is so easy to get caught up in the grayness of these cold, dreary days. Especially when the forecast includes a major snow storm to be followed by an arctic blast. Tempting to just hunker down all wrapped up in a blanket by the fireplace and wait for spring. But then you would miss out on the unique beauty that the Midwest offers this time of year. Glistening snowflakes, frost sculptures, vapor rising off the river early in the morning - natural works of art, that try as we might, are unable to capture or recreate.

But still, I keep attempting just that! Even though I know my camera and my skill can never record the intensity, vibrance, detail or even really convey the feeling of what I see, I give it my best shot after shot. Every once in a while I capture a photo that looks kind of cool, but still not nearly as amazing as the real thing. In a way, I think that is what makes it so beautiful, knowing that I really need to stop, look and enjoy the moment because it's only temporary. Tomorrow the canvas will be completely different and the one I see today will be gone forever.

Pretty deep - even for me!

I'll just post the pics that started this rambling train of thought, go make another pot of coffee, look out the window (my personal snow globe today :) and enjoy the beauty of the moment.

Have a great day!

Sweets on my mind

The holidays are over and the resolutions have been set - but my mind keeps drifting off (okay - speeding at 100mph) to sweets. Nothing in particular - just anything sweet. Could be chocolate, cookies, candy, cake... I can't stop thinking about them. It's proving to be quite challenging to get my work done, not to mention that it's blowing a major hole in my "get healthy in 2011" plan!

Here is a painting I did a while back showing what's on my mind. I was inspired by the artist Wayne Thiebaud and his amazing use of color.

If only they tasted as good as they look!