Quote | Scott Adams + The 'Work-From-Home-Together' Party

This morning I'm having a 'Work-From-Home-Together Party'. I've invited all of my local friends and colleagues who are self-employed, like me, to come over and play office at my house. We all lead pretty isolated work lives - which is not always a bad thing - but I thought it would be interesting to make mistakes into art together. There are going to be cinnamon rolls, lots of coffee, get-to-work sort of music, snacks and shop talk. Regardless of how much work we get done (keep in mind we are women and we work alone most of the time which means CHIT CHAT!), we will have a small work community for the day. And I'm definitely looking forward to that. See you soon, ladies!

Mark Terry | Identity System +

Well, we're getting there! Mark's MFA Thesis Exhibition is quickly approaching. And we're just ahead of the game with all of his identity system pieces and gallery graphics - produced and ready to roll. Here's a quick glance at what we've been working on: an official wordmark, stamps of this wordmark to use in on a variety of materials (one with his address, one with his tagline), business cards and show cards....there's more, but you'll have to wait until the show's up for those shots. It's going to be beautiful.

I love stamps. They're super versatile and really fun. There's something so satisfying about inking some rubber and branding it all over the place. Letters, labels, packaging, note cards, even forearms and foreheads...!?

The image on the business card (and his blog header) is one taken at a Noble Hill Anagama firing. It features Mark instructing a student - the story of his life! If a picture says 1,000 words, this is it.

The show card features one of the 13 ceramic sculpture pieces that will be a part of the show: Alchemy | Born of Fire.

You can read more about Mark in this previous blog post. Or on his blog. Cheers!

Bakery D'Amour | Sneak Peek

There's something new and exciting coming from the same people who brought you French Press in Salem, Oregon: a bakery! It's going to be the best bakery on the West Coast. For. Sure. When we started the logo-creation process, I had the team give me a list of adjectives they would use to describe what the bakery will be like. (It's currently under construction.) This is what we ended-up with: French (obviously), Delicious, Quality, Creative, Classy, Top-Drawer, Family-Inspired, Tucked into the Neighborhood, All Made From Scratch, Friendly and Fun (and we knew we wanted a bakery bike in there somewhere). What a great list. I used these adjectives along with lots of research to inspire me along the logo-creation road. And inspired I was! As you can see below, we've got a lot of options. Some are very similar; all are rooted in the business goals and objectives. This is more than I usually show a client for the first round, but seriously, how could I cut any of them from the running!? Any one of them could be successful, but the challenge is choosing only one to take us forward. So.....tell us what you think! What's your vote? (You'll probably have to click on each set so it enlarges to really examine them enough to decide.)

I am so honored to be working with the French Press + Bakery D'Amour team. They've got a exceptional vision for some extraordinary additions to Salem. I can't wait to see Bakery D'Amour come to life. Stay tuned....and cast your vote! (If you'd like to see more identity work from StudioM, visit www.studiompdx.com)

Malarie Ann Capell | Art on Peoples' Heads

My sister is an artist. With color and cuts, that is. She's a super stylissimo. So, it only makes sense for her to have a super promotional piece she can use when on the hunt for a new job. And that's what she's got! We sat down yesterday and pumped this out and it turned out great. It's being printed as we speak...I can't wait for her to take it out on the streets! Go, Mal-Mal!

Happy Birthday, Shanty!

Shanty is turning one! Hip-hip-horray!

And there's more to cheer about because Maggie, the lovely owner of the quaint boutique (and my client) has decided to throw a party to celebrate. Tasty treats, special deals on special drinks and a gift with purchase. July 1. All day long. (Although the garden party starts at 4pm.)

What's more: Visit www.shantyboutique.blogspot.com - Once you see the anniversary post, comment on it to have your name entered in a drawing! Happy Birthday, Shanty - Happy Day, Everyone. Maggie, you have given all of us such a great place to shop, party and play. We're celebrating you just as much as the shop on July 1!

You can read more about Shanty here and here.

Wind Power is the coolest thing ever.

I’ve been learning a lot about this renewable energy resource and I’m just enthralled. Wind power is a conversion of energy. Turbines are used to harness the power of the wind and convert it into usable electricity. A piece of property with numerous turbines strategically placed across it is called a wind farm. Wind farms are typically connected to an electric power transmission network which allows the electricity to be accessible to consumers. Wow.

The northern crest of the Columbia Gorge in the Northwest is lined with turbines. They look like countless little white pinwheels. In reality, they’re about 442 feet tall from the base to the tip of the rotor. And they're amazing! Modern wind turbines are equipped with high-tech computers that process over 200 types of data - from wind speeds and oil temperature to voltage dips on the grid.

About 85,000 people are employed in the wind industry today. As of May 2009, eighty countries have implemented wind power. Wind energy is a growing industry. This isn't news to Windlab Systems. They are a global wind energy development company based in Australia and they've been identifying, securing and developing sites since 2003.

I was connected to Windlab Systems through Alisa Patterson, their Regional Director for the Western United States. Since they’re in the business of leasing land for the construction of wind turbines, they needed some communication materials to help them do their job. That’s where I came in. We’ve been working on establishing a style for Windlab and applying that style to several printed communication pieces. The first is a presentation folder.

This is the job you may have seen on press here last week.

Windlab will now be even better-equipped to continue as an international leader in the wind industry. Thank you for involving me in the process - I heart wind power!

We all know I'm a fan of Mark Terry. But I'm not the only one!

I've already dedicated a post to the ravings about Mark Terry, but he deserves another. (Or a hundred. At least.) He was just named the 2010 Oregon Higher Education Art Educator of the Year by the Oregon Art Education Association. He was shocked, but none of us were the least bit surprised. You can read more about it in the George Fox News Releases. I've had the privilege of learning from and working with Mark over the last 8 years. He certainly deserves the official recognition. Hats off to you, Mark!!!

You can learn more about what he's up to on his blog: www.markterryalchemist.blogspot.com

And I'll be posting lots more as his MFA Thesis Exhibition Show in Azusa approaches. We've been working on all of the promotional materials and signage...it's going to be so cool.