letters as love

i love letters, so naturally as a graphic designer, i love typography as well. since the past several years i have chosen to make painting my hobby and my love (no pun intended here), so i decided to collide both 'loves' as a personal project. in my mind, a successful one as well.

as i contemplated this impending undertaking, it finally hit me—why not small canvases with each individual letter displayed as a way to display both of them together. but how to execute it. at first, i tried something different than the final outcome, and wasn't satisfied with what i came up with at all. as i headed back to the store to buy new canvases—which weren't cheap—i knew i needed to continue my personal project or i would be dissatisfied until i completed it. 

i was on a mission.

i've never really sketched before i painted or started a design project, as i just went with it, but this time, it was different. i had an idea, but didn't know how to engineer it, so sketching was the next best thing for me.

success abound, i continued to work continuously and came up with an idea which you will now see here. an idea that i ultimately loved.

even though paintings like these are not for everyone, they worked for me and worked for the space where i eventually hung them. it was a perfect solution.

the sides of each "cube" were left to the original color that are underneath the thick applied black paint, to make each painting 'pop.' since i was satisfied with the final result and know that i can continue to create more—which i did with the first letters of each of our names in my family as well (haven't taken a picture of those yet). 

as i combined my passion for typography along with painting, it was a personal success. if you've ever thought about something intimate and small, maybe figure out a solution to incorporate the spelling of your favorite word, your last name, or even your first name as a way to display something simple and cherished. whether you choose to use a small canvas such as mine, or a mixture of letters you find through recycled materials, you can also create these symbols of endearment.

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got milk?

in this case, no, i don't have milk, because for this particular project, i don't want, nor do i need milk. it's an idea that i accidentally came upon just from eating at our local hamburger spot.


about a month ago, my daughter decided that she wanted to get rid of her large dollhouse that was given to her by my parents at the age of 6. now that she's 12, it was time to move on as she will soon embark on her teen years. however, once we removed the dollhouse, nothing but an empty blank wall was now present, so we realized that coming up with an idea might be a challenging one. the next visualiztion in lieu of our typical painting or piece of art, was to replace that empty wall with shelving. we thought it'd be the perfect solution to replace that area with something where she can display her old dolls, but for other random items as well.


but money was tight for us, so typical shelving units were just too expensive to even consider, and of course, they also weren't modern enough than from what i typically love. since i have always had a fondness for modern and simple decor, one thing i have always adhered to for any sort of display, is the eclectic mix of recycled/pre-owned objects with a modern twist while sharing new objects in my home. i prefer it this way, because it's my way of incorporating the old with the new; a way of being resourceful of discarded items in our city. 


i've always loved this mix of decor and i find it important as a way to recycle materials throughout your home.


why not? why does everything have to be traditional and common? why not be creative and experimental and inventive instead?


for an inexpensive idea—or free for that matter, shhh!—that i came up with in lieu of regular shelving for her bedroom, but not just something creative and cool looking, but resourceful, because let's face it, isn't it about how 'cool' something looks, and not your quintessential piece of furniture that you see in most people's home?


for me, the answer is definitely! it's how i've always rolled when it comes to decorating my loft. even my paintings are more colorful and funky than the typical common art that you commonly see anywhere else.


lime green, anyone?


as i started my quest to get my project started, i knew it would be a challenge to 'find' what i needed to look for—milk crates! yup, you read this right—because i thought milk crates would be a perfect solution to a much complex situation—and of course, an inexpensive one as well.


since those cool bratz dolls that were so popular not too long ago are no longer in production, it was another fix where she could save them with hopes of turning them into collector's items in the future; perhaps an idea that she wanted for displaying them properly for her friends to see!


why not turn more milk crates into side tables as well? a perfect solution for a limited and sparse space, displaying one on each side.

with adding old style and pre-used milk crates to her bedroom, i realized how much i liked this idea for her small bedroom, so i also integrated the milk crates throughout my loft. why not?

our bedroom is also limited on space so adding an industrial-style shelving unit 

($80 at sam's club) with a few milk crates for added storage of sweaters & other winter items.

a perfect solution for a small space in our laundry area

although these particular locations where we utilized the pre-used milk crates was practical, i knew i wanted to add a little something newer and a lot more colorful to mimic our upstairs living area, so tossing in newer crates would be a little more fun than the plain black or blue crates that you would typically find at your local grocery store. what better way to make use of our much larger wasted space above our kitchen sink than fun colorful ones instead?

for some, this idea might not be an acceptable one, but that's ok, maybe it'll give you the inspiration you'll need to get started on an upcoming project, if not an unusual decorative idea throughout, because if not within your home, maybe just an idea overall.

even though money might not be a problem or a concern for you at this time, or maybe you just want to bring forth a different and unique perspective to your home, this pioneering approach that you won't normally see anywhere else, will generate a buzz as a result of this innovative verge, because i assure you, your friends WILL be impressed.

it's not just for college dorms anymore.

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designing a submission of fear

where do i start? do i start with the details of my upcoming submission for DAM's (denver art museum) Open For Design exhibit, or just discuss my fear of proposing my work in general?


perhaps these are questions i must answer to myself as i attempt to try and include my work and my idea for this exhibit. i'm nervous, that much i admit, mainly because i haven't included my work or my ideas in any sort of exhibit since college. so where do i start? the idea is in my head, but can i execute it as i present it in two weeks for acceptance to such a public-driven museum, and not just your local small town art gallery, but a space of a much larger scale.


i know my idea is an extraordinary one, and i know my idea will 'knock their socks off,' but i'm scared, i really am. this much i will admit. i'm not afraid to come to terms with this, but i'll try, regardless. 


what do i have to lose? nothing.


with the recent passing of my father, i want to dedicate this to him because i know he would have been proud, so for me, it's something personal and i know in my heart, he would have approved. he would have even agreed with this idea running through my head. it means a lot to me, from someone who has incorporated an eclectic mix of pre-owned designs and decor in my home, to brand new. i believe in an idea that can help clean up our cities and our world while including local inner-city kids who don't have the privilege of creating art or learning about art as a whole.


as an artist myself, that breaks my heart.


when you have an idea but continue to struggle with how to engineer it and put it out there for the judges to see, will they 'get' what i'm trying to convey, as i stand there in a mirror of confusion. 


again, i have nothing to lose. i can only try and not give up. i will persevere.


i won't share my idea with you, not yet. perhaps afterwards when i've already proposed my design, then my visualization will be hashed out here and discussed freely. i will be excited to share it with you. that much i can guarantee.


but for now, be patient. submission date is july 28.

as i sit here shaking with anticipation, i know i have a lot of work ahead of me. i have started with images only, but haven't executed the 3D design which i will need to present to the judges. in my mind, i need to come up with materials and a decent design that i hope will be accepted into this exhibit. an exhibit that i know will impress the public. as i will move forward with my search for scraps and the like, i know i'll have a challenging road ahead of me. 

it will be a test to my art and design abilities, something i've always had anxiety for, this much is certain, but providing recycled materials will be key to my idea and my design. otherwise, it will be nothing shy of an oxymoron if i head to the store and purchase nothing but new materials, but sometimes we will need to create something that purchasing new is imperative to the overall design. how can i overcome this?

imagination will hopefully override the outcome of my anxiety.

i will sit here and still contemplate my execution of my submission, but i promise you this, i will do it, i will finish!

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