Charleston Style & Design
Hard to believe we are already into the new year. December was a blur with trying to wrap the winter issue of Charleston Style & Design (final production always seems to fall between Christmas and New Years). Despite a tough year in magazine publishing that saw several well know publications close their doors (Gourmet/Modern Bride), CS&D has hung in there and continued to thrive in the Charleston market. Art Directing a lifestyle book gives one access to some beautiful local homes and the opportunity to meet some talented builders, architects and interior designers. This winter issue features the work of Thomas Evans Construction, Richard Moutz Architects, Haute Design and Camens Architectural Group (also an advertising client of mine). Also a behind the scenes look at one of my favorite Mount Pleasant restaurants, Langdons. Check your local newsstands now.
Creek Ranch
Putting the finishing touches on this marketing piece for Creek Ranch, a working ranch down in central Florida. Great photography by McGinnis Leathers and copywriting by Jim Carver.
Synergy
We had friends in town from Massachusetts over the weekend. As a couple who both work in the creative field (Peter’s a photographer and Heather an artist) they occasionally have the opportunity to collaborate on a project. Love these hull graphics that were done for the Chicago Match Race Center boats.
Buzz
I am constantly reminded of how much Charleston is more like a small town than a city of 100,000. It seems like everyone knows everyone here, or at least maybe one degree of separation away. It happened again recently when I glanced at the byline of an article I was laying out for the fall issue of Charleston Style & Design Magazine. The writer Christy Heady, sounded awfully familiar. When I read her bio, I realized we had both worked on another project together… indirectly. Her as co-author on New York (ex) Mayor Ed Koch’s recent book Buzz and myself as it’s cover designer, contracting through Manhattan publisher Amacom Books. Small world. Where have I heard that one before?
Curious Yellow
Just finished the labeling for Curious Yellow, a super premium lemmoncello liqueur that will be bottled and distributed locally here in Charleston. The proprietor is a local artist and his artwork was incorporated into the final design.
Let’s Do Lunch… U Buy
I heard from a Mass College of Art buddy of mine yesterday about his unique approach to networking at Boston’s 49th Annual Hatch Awards Monday night. I’ve got to hand it to Craig. He landed a killer job right out of school working for ad legend Steve Cosmopulos at Cosmopulos, Crowley, Daly. Craig eventually launched his own shop, Grant Associates Advertising & Design, and enjoyed a long successful run. A year into this recession, smaller creative shops like his have been particularly hard hit. As a result, Craig has become somewhat of a networking zealot. Based upon the write-ups he received in the Boston Jobs blog and his local town’s newspaper , it may just pay off. You can read the latest here.
Life on Mars
I’m on an Aussie roll this weekend. With a niece living in Sydney and a sister in Queensland, I get the occasional updates on what’s up down under. These photos from Sydney’s recent dust storm have a surreal quality… more red planet than planet earth.
Return of the Living Red
Some really cool wine label packaging here to get your creative juices flowing. Especially love the work (and website) of the Australian shop, Mash.
Metamorphis
Change is good. After a successful eight year run as Johnson Design, the time felt right for a major rebranding of my business. It also gave me the opportunity to work with some really talented individuals. Andra Watkins of Positus Consulting has been an invaluable resource with strategic planning. I also want to thank the folks at Fuzzco (Josh, Helen and Mason) for their efforts on this rebranding project including naming, logo and website… nice work!
The Religion of Thinness
When one of my West Coast publishing clients offered me a cover assignment recently, the subject matter struck particularly close to home. Anorexia and Bulimia are diseases among women and teens more prevalent than many realize or are willing to admit. Chances are, you may know someone who has struggled with one of these disorders. This particular title, The Religion of Thinness, examines the spiritual dimensions of body image and eating problems. “Satisfying the Spiritual Hunger behind Women’s Obsession with Food and Weight” was the theme I needed to convey in my cover concepts. Additional input from the client suggested I explore the figure of a woman in a position of prayer and perhaps incorporating some type of religious iconography. The following are six concepts from the initial presentation.
