Yesterday, I went to the Taft Museum of Art for the first time. I was so inspired by the beautiful works within that I sketched this real quick just outside of the museum. It started as a 10 minute pen sketch and then when I got home, I added the watercolor. I liked the way the light rested on the building, and tried to capture a bit of that. I am still trying to master the art of light and it's relationship with others. One day. One day.
It's been a while since I've done a watercolor sketch. Too long of a while.
Yesterday, in between coffees, I decided to take a little time out for ol' sketchy. I came across this abstract drawing I did a few weeks ago while in Indy for work. While waiting for clients (in between stage rehearsals), I sketched this out mostly as a means of keeping myself awake. There can be a lot of sitting and waiting when working corporate events, so it's always good to bring something to keep your brain going when needed. I'm glad I had my trusty sketchbook that day, because I really like how this abstract piece turned out. Also, I successfully kept myself awake. :)
I had a little bit of downtime to explore Indy, too. I even got to hang out with my best friend from childhood, which was a lot of fun. Actually, every time I go to Indy, I end up having a lot of fun. What a great city.
2015 was so fun! I can only hope this year is just as good as the last.
What a crazy, incredible year! I've been lucky enough to have had quite a few opportunities to do work for some really cool clients. And so, naturally, I'm super excited to share this new work with everyone - as it was months in the making!
Just to give you a little background here, Pampered Chef held its annual National Conference at the Rosemont Theater just outside of Chicago, Illinois this past July. Every year, their consultants come together for this event to share their love for everything Pampered Chef. To help make this event be as super awesome as it could be, I worked closely with the Strategy, Staging and Design teams at my company to develop the initial stage concepts/looks for each general session. In additional to working with those (internal) teams, I also simultaneously worked with creatives from the Pampered Chef team to develop set looks that suited their specific needs. And the result is what you see below!
The overall theme for this year's event was Gather 'Round. Each day used similar colors (pinks, glitter(s) and gray) and materials but the graphic and scenic elements were designed differently to create a robust, unique look for each general session. This helps create a fine distinction between each session for the attendees.
General Session 1 was largely inspired by chevron shapes. A combination of hard and soft pieces were used in harmony to create a layered effect. Bogo lighting can be seen on the stage sides and top center to further carry the look of the day. The speaker support (screen graphics) also reflect the inspiration of the day.
Geometric circle shapes and patterns are what drove the look of General Session 2. Varying sizes of Chinese lanterns covered in glitter dangle from the stage ceiling. Circular patterned hard panels line the legs of the stage with semi-transparent fabric draped behind to create textural contrast. The speaker support uses similar elements graphically to enhance the circular, geometric theme.
For the Awards Session, glitz and glam were the driving themes. The butterflies are symbolic of blooming/achievement. Lush swags of gold and silver fabrics are used in the background and foreground to create a rich, dimensional space for attendees and presenters to stand, enter and exit. Balloons, although not visible in the 3D render, are netted against the ceiling above the theater seating; these are to be used as a finale to the evening.
General Session 4 is inspired by hexagon shapes. Floor and ceiling supported hex clusters are used to create visual interest in space and aesthetic. Each cluster is made up of colored, semi-transparent and opaque shapes. Soft fabric columns are use on stage right and a large sheer fabric is used on stage left; both work together to create an asymmetrical tone.
*Although these weren't the final set or speaker support looks the client landed on for the actual show, they were a great start/foundation to the 2015 final event look! I'll be sure to post some photos from the show at a later time! It was there that I was the lead on-site Grpahics Operator, which is a whole other ballgame compared to the set design stuff! Fun times!
Ciao!
“Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.” – Eric Sevareid, CBS News journalist
These t-shirts were designed for my bowling team (my company party had bowling tournaments at Axis Alley in Newport, Ky). We had the best team name there ever was: The Ebowlas. Our tagline was, "Bringing everyone down!" We actually won 1st place for design in the t-shirt contest, so I was pretty excited about that!
So, Athens! Took a trip there recently to do a little hiking resting, exploring and resting.
The Ohio Renaissance Festival is in season once more! Hooray! Whenever I go, it feels like it is officially confirmed that Fall is here and Summer is on it's steamy way out. Time for some of my favorite things like sweaters, hot drinks and campfires. :)
Check out our costumes when Fred and I last went to Renfest! Super sweet, huh?!
So, I went to Chicago for two weeks. Now I'm back. That city is something, alright. Along with working 736 hours in the 2 weeks I was there, I did manage to sneak away for some time in the city. It was pretty cool. I saw a lot of neat stuff. Like this beautiful view of the Chicago River. I would have loved to have been on one of those boats that day!
I also so a lot of people with selfie sticks, but I refuse to post photos of them because they are dumb. You'll have to settle for these pics instead.
This was the view from my hotel, the Hyatt Regency at McCormick Place.
I've been wanting to visit this sculpture for some time now, so I was super happy to finally see it.
This was right next to the bean sculpture. It reminded me of the Guggenheim Museum in Spain, so of course, I had to snap a photo.
This was the Field Museum! I hope to make it back there one day so that I can see the inside, too. It's probably awesome.
This was the Lakefront Trail. It was really crazy to see all of these boats docked right in front of the big city.
All in all, I did a lot of work while there, but also got to have a few new experiences, meet some new people and see some cool things. Including a bird eating eggs off of my breakfast plate. And mobs of screaming girls. And the most beautiful bowl I've ever laid eyes on, in which I brought back to Cincinnati with me...where we both belong.
Sometimes, there is a lot going on in life. I feel stressed. Overwhelmed. Scared.
Friday, I met a stranger in the park who was kind and who was warm. I spoke. She smiled, and I realized the world is much bigger than me. I am not my own universe. Everyone struggles. Everyone is struggling with something.
I've been looking down, but I need to look up.
And breathe.
