I put this logo together as my contribution to a local scene I support - THE INDUSTRY. I liked the direction they were using visually, but it felt a little lost - a deadly mistake in a small place like BRLA - so I did what I could to help with the logo and a simple flyer design. I did like their mp3 player and wanted to replace mine with something similar, so I followed the link to find that some of the color themes were heisted from one of my higher rated palettes at COLOURlovers.com. I was immediately flattered but at the same time somewhat violated. Turned out Darius knows them from some past venture and they immediately added a link to COLOURlovers after professing it was a harmless mistake. I'm still a little flattered but I kind of do wish I had some kind of personal credit to legitimize my claim. As a palette, it doesn't get the proliferation that it does when applied to an mp3 player that has already made it's way to within a few clicks of urls with my name in them. I just think it'd be nice to know when someone is applying one of my palettes to do something useful. I guess being top COLOURlover isn't good enough - I want credit for the work that put me there too. Geez, I'm a greedy bastard.. .

So, I've found I don't post much to this blog like I want to or thought I would. It seems every time I have the need or want to post something it is usually in line with the majority of the more personal blogs out there - pretty retarded stuff. I want this blog to be more professional and I'm going to focus on that, but in the meantime, I need a more personal release that doesn't have to be so pretentious. To that end I have launched ieatcrayons.org as my creative playground for the things that just don't matter that much or just aren't viably billable, but still entertaining all the same. The quote below is the first post and explanation for/of ieatcrayons.org.

“my shit may not smell like roses, but it comes in more colors. this is the septic tank of my creativity, experiments, inspiration, and all things unbillable. hopefully, the lack of structure and any resemblance to ‘useful’ or ‘informative’ content will keep things interesting enough for those of you who like to stop and smell the roses at the end of the rainbow.. .”

Starting on Monday, May 4^th, I will begin a 3 month evaluation period as Creative Director (due to my lack of proven Creative Direction experience) with Xdesign Inc. Once the trial period is up, my continuation there will go up for evaluation (which I'm confident will go well for me) and I will either make it or, well, you know the cliché. I could not have asked for a better position at a better firm anywhere in the South and I am honored they selected me. I am, therefore, postponing my trans–location to NYC (in determinedly) in order to learn from the vast experience and great wisdom the seasoned staff there has gained after many successful years of operation and award collecting (funny though how the number of those awards dramatically decreased during the years I was winning them at other firms :P).

In the meantime, I dug through numerous shelves and found Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type by Kimberly Elam, which I highly suggest as a great educational reference/resource for every designer at every level of experience. It brings back the basics and has some very nice vellum overlay pages that visualize how the compositional elements work within the given grid system in question. It includes some great examples including work from Jan Tschichold's brochure for Die Neue Typographie as well as Bauhaus graphics and a Nike catalog.

Labels: graphic design, grid systems, typography, visual organization, Xdesign

Keith Parent along with ICON Studios Artists Heath Tullier, and David Wandell collaborate to bring together a fantastical art show of dreamscapes and nightmares.

In honor of Baton Rouge's 3rd Annual Red Stick International Animation Festival, ICON Studios presents an evening of artistic dreamscapes and nightmares by studio artists Keith Parent, Heath Tullier, and David Wandell. Rasputin's Vodka Bar, located in Downtown Baton Rouge at 214 Third St., will host the event on April 20th. Entitled INSTRVMENTVM: Symphony of Dreams, the event will showcase a multitude of mediums and visions to deliver a collection of work unique to the Baton Rouge arts scene.

KEITH PARENT is the Creative Director at the graphic design firm, Oktoberproject. With his formal degree in painting and drawing, Keith spends his free time exploring fictional dreamscapes through mixed media processes that combine everything from charcoal drawings and oil paints to vector illustrations and 3D objects.

HEATH TULLIER is an ICON Studios co-founder and illustrator of Red Sht!ck Magazine's covers and has made his name well known in Baton Rouge's art scene. Recently hailed as a master of graphite and pixels, Heath's elaborate visuals tread the fine line between the beautiful and macabre. The artist's ultimate goal for this event is to bring about the apocalypse within one hundred and twenty minutes.

DAVID WANDELL is a printmaker, painter, and graphic artist from New Orleans and is a recent addition to ICON Studios. He is an LSU School of Art Alumni and veteran of Frogman's Print and Paper Workshop. Returning from an east coast sabbatical, he brings a new vision and new mediums to the studio. From the birth of this event, he has been a huge inspiration and motivator for the group's efforts.

Sponsored by Stoli Vodka, Innovative Artworks, and Rasputin. The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:30PM and stay open until 2:00AM. Ages 18 and older only. Dress attire required (per Rasputin's requirements). You can call Rasputin's at 225.346.6767 if you have any questions regarding the dress code.

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Labels: animation, art show, drawing, mixed media, painting