Happy Halloween. Don’t be scared by my latest illustration, Boo! I have been thinking about this image for a while, finally drew up the face by hand and then drew it up again in Illustrator to add pattern. I think it needs some more depth, so essentially it’s a work in progress.

Sadly, I have no costume for this year, which is a shame, because Halloween is really one of my favorite holidays and as a big show-off extrovert, I love dressing up. You know, like as Snow White or a coked-up trophy wife or a 1950’s housewife, or a nurse with with no medicine. Just didn’t have the time, energy, or motivation to do it this year! However, I have been productive in other ways! I have so much work to do right now, and I have no business spending precious sleep time on projects with no immediate deadline or client, but there you go. Partly, it’s the problem of drinking coffee at 4pm, and partly, just the need to get it out. Anyway, I’ll sleep when I’m old!

Time for boots! Inspired by a boot I found in London, this microsuede (that’s imitation suede for all you non-footwear people) boot with lacing and faux fur collar is ready for prototyping just as soon as I pick out some colors for it!

I also had another inspired dream but have not drawn it up, yet. I sketched out the idea but had other work to do first.

It would freak me out to think somebody was taking my photo while I was innocently perusing magazines at my local bookshop. I can’t believe I am admitting that I took this girl’s photo, and now am posting it. Some people would say don’t have such a conscience! I blame it on the trip to Puebla Mexico I once took, and at a club I tried to take a photo and an angry, drunk young punk Mexican ran at me and said to me with the angriest face “no photos! you cannot steal our soul by taking our photo!” An old myth. And it shouldn’t bother me, because he was just a drunk kid trying to piss off the American tourist, but it affected me!

Anyways, well, truth is I just couldn’t help myself as I came down the escalator from the loo in the Borders on Oxford Street in London. Style, people, London’s got style. I vascillate back and forth between “who has this much time, energy and motivation to make so much effort to be so freaking trendy, cool, punk rock, whatever” and “oh my, what is it like to be like these kids who make it a priority to be so cool and/or trendy.” What do you think, could I rock this platinum blond hair? I have absolutely zero loyalty to any hairstyle, and pretty much zero patience to maintain any look either. Maybe I took and posted her photo, to get over my bad experience back in Puebla. Anywayz.

London was great. It is such a cool place. I could talk about how quaint, how European, how rainy, how delicious, how expensive, how British it is. But I will just say, it is so cool. The style, the architecture, the vibe. Unfortunately, I didn’t take very many photos, because I was busy, working, and hanging out with Salvi, well and enjoying myself. Salvi was a champion escort with me on my work errands, and an exquisite date, as always! xoxo

If you check out my UK photo set you’ll see the few photos I did capture and the difference between last months weather (still sunny, warm) and this months weather (cool, rainy, overcast.) The Camden market held a lot of interest for me, especially this bag vendor. These bags are just one silhoutte, a simple canvas bag with a variety of screened prints, but how happy they make me. I brought a couple home for just a few pounds, yeah, my bag collection increases weekly (but I’m not a luxurious bag collector, some of my favorites are from the goodwill.) Anyway, what I realize now, is this DISPLAY makes me happier than the BAGS themselves do! I think I need to be in visual merchandising. I love stores for their filtered, curated merchandising. Think of how effective endcaps are in making you notice products. Think about it, wouldn’t you rather buy a box of cereal from a small, carefully selected display of 10 boxes rather than the long-ass aisle of 3000 boxes? Tell me, you are like me, and too much stuff overwhelms you. I know it does!

Anyways, London is really cool. Virgin Airlines has campy flight attendants, but good movie options. I watched 3 movies on the way home. Not to mention the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, which we watched while in London. I love me some cinema. If for nothing else then to shut off the rest of the world for just a few hours.

When I drew up the dream I had recently, it got me thinking about the texture of trees and wood. I decided to draw up (again in Illustrator, I love that program. If I was desserted on an island, along with taking sunblock for my scandy skin, I’d bring Adobe Illustrator to keep myself entertained.) Anyways, I digress. I decided to draw up some different woodgrain textures, which I will use in a future print design. Textures delight me, it’s the tactile details, also in fibre, that fascinate me. I’m excited to use these 2-d textures, I’ve thought of a few things to do with them but of course, I’m waiting for that prolific dream to art direct them just so.

See you when I get back from the UK!

I ordered the lovely 2007 calendar from artist Camilla Engman. Check out her stuff it’s great!

I unearthed some way old design work, from my college days in graphic design. I found this invite I did for my Dad’s surprise 50th bday. The left is the front and the right is the back. Isn’t it funny?

Friday was Friday the 13th and I came into work to find my laptop had been stolen! Gone! Along with my bosses and other expensive small equipment around the area. We have a secured floor with card key access, and you have to sign in at the lobby after-hours with a guard. Who knows how or why it happened, but it sucks. I had a lot of personal work saved on my desktop, but most of my work work stuff was saved to the server, so that’s ok. Things happen for a reason, guess you just have to wait patiently and see why. They have ordered me a replacement. Did I mention it’s one of our busiest times at work and we’ve been staying late all week? Yeah. Well we have. And see that little locking wooden file cabinet to the right? That’s where I usually lock it up at night, but noticing others have been leaving theirs out, I left mine out Thursday night. My neighbors did not have theirs stolen, just my boss and I. Maybe they were in a hurry. Anyway, it’s a lesson to all, it’s that one time you don’t wear your seatbelt or lock something up, that invariably something bad could happen! Be safe!

I’m so excited I will be going back to London next week, for a long weekend! I am going on a top secret mission for a top secret project, and I will actually be working while I’m there, but of course, will find a way to …. “enjoy the pleasures of life” since I have that unique gift and all. See, I knew there was no need to try to squeeze every little thing into that last trip, somehow I knew I’d be back! Salvi I will see you at Paddington station!