Mini Design Lesson II: Color

There has been a tremendous amount of research on how color affects human beings and some of this research suggests that men and women may respond to colors differently. Color effects us emotionally, with different colors evoking different emotions. In short color has the capacity to effect the human nervous system.


Color Vocabulary:

• Hue: refers to the names of the primary colors, red, green and blue.
  
• Value: lightness and darkness of the color - the amount of white or black added.
  
• Intensity: the purity or saturation of the color
  
• Monochromatic color: use of one color where only the value of the color changes
  
• Analogous colors: colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel, e.g. yellow and green

Analogous colors next to each other on the color wheel "get along" and are referred to as being harmonious. Analogous colors are often used in visual design and have a soothing affect.

Complementary colors: colors opposite to each other on the color wheel, e.g. Blue-violet and yellow, represent colors positioned across from each other on the color wheel. Complimentary colors exhibit more contrast when positioned adjacent to each other -for example yellow appears more intense when positioned on or beside blue or violet (see picture below).

In the photograph above - green and yellow are analogous colors that harmonize where as the violet color of the shooting stars appears more intense against a complementary colored background.

Warm colors include: yellows, red and orange we associate these with blood, sun and fire.

Cool colors include: violet, blue and green because of our association with snow and ice.

Source: COMPOSITION & the ELEMENTS of VISUAL DESIGN

Activity: Record the Colors Around You

As you are out and about this season, note the colors around you and how they make you feel. What colors are you most drawn to? Which ones repel you? What types of color combinations do you like? Are the Analagous? Complimentary? Cool? Warm?

Do you find these colors in your wardrobe? in your house? If not, why?

Color Harmony: Layout: More than 800 Color Ways for Layouts That Work

Selecting the right color palette for any design project, whether personal or commercial, can make all the difference in getting it right. Colors set the tone for visual communication and are essential elements in effective information navigation. Unfortunately however, for most people, even many trained designers, choosing color is not an easy process, but with a little bit of science and a color advice, anyone can make the right choice. Color Harmony: Layout takes 23 descriptive adjectives and shows 10 different layouts (letterhead, poster, book jacket, brochure, newsletter etc.) in three color combinations for each adjective. The result is 1,035 color/layout variations illustrating how colors are used to great effect in design. was $25.00 now $16.50 | Buy Now

Mini Design Lesson I: The Rule of Thirds

If you've ever taken a photo class, you've probably heard of "the rule of thirds." If you haven't, it's a fairly simple concept & one that makes your compositions instantly more interesting and appealing. It works with photography, design, landscaping, etc. (Designers might be familiar with "the Golden Mean" - of which, the rule of thirds is a simpler variation).

The basic idea is, instead of plopping something right in the middle of your page (lawn, photo, wall, etc), divide your space into thirds and use that as a guide to place your image (shrub, pictures, subject).

Usually, photographers will place an imaginary grid over their image and adjust it so that the focal point isn't dead center. You can apply the same principles to any design aspect.

The Golden Mean is a slightly more complex version of this rule, in which your design space is divided through a mathematical ratio - causing each space to be smaller than the next.

Generally, what you'll find out is that if you pay attention to what type of design or layout "feels" the best, it will most likely align with the Golden Mean.

Here is a good tutorial on the Rule of Thirds and the Golden Mean.

Activity: Look for the Design Layouts That You Like
As your reading through magazines, shopping, or surfing the net, look for packaging or web designs that catch your eye, and ask yourself why you were attracted to that design. Is it the layout? The color scheme? The pictures? etc.

The more you understand about your own aesthetic preferences, the better you'll be able to incorporate those aspects into your life.

Layout Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Building Pages in Graphic Design

Cullen approaches layout with this comprehensive guide that begins with a series of step-by-step fundamental chapters (a "how-to" of layout) addressing topics such as Inspiration, The Process of Design, Choosing Type, Structure and Spatial Organization, Establishing Hierarchy, and Communicating Messages. Following this thorough and instructive section is a diverse collection of visual case studies showcasing some of the best of layout design; inspirational quotations; and a unique, progressive book design that is truly reflective of the content. was $40.00 now $27.60 | Buy Now

Searching...

I've been searching for Christmas gift ideas that, considering my budget, cost little to nothing to make. In my searching I keep coming across stories of people in third world countries that are creating amazing art objects out of trash. If they can envision and create these haut couture items out of nothing more than refuse, why is it that we have such a hard time in this country finding our creative sense? Or is it that we will only see trash as creative potential if our financial status reaches that of a third world citizen?


Items to experience (click on images for more information):

Basura Bags from Honduras

Coin Purses from the Philippines

Vietnamese Paper Vase

3 Things

Mohandas Gandhi once said, "There is more to life than increasing its speed."

In a world where we are finding new ways to multi-task and plug in, I would suggest that perhaps we take a moment (just one moment) to step back, take a deep breath, and look around.

Actually, this might be a good time to make your own personal list of the 3 important things to remember.

Have you ever seen the movie City Slickers? There's a scene that I just love: Curly (the gruff & tumble trail boss) asks Billy Crystal's character, Mitch (the City Slicker):

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is?
[holds up one finger]
Curly: This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean shit.
Mitch: But, what is the "one thing?"
Curly: [smiles] That's what *you* have to find out.

Your 3 things are just that, yours. These are the things that you live your life for, the things that make your world beautiful & wonderful.

I would suggest that you keep this list in your pocket & when your life is getting rather hectic, take a step back, inhale deeply, find your list & read it - slowly. Once you've read it, take a look around. Is what you're doing enhancing the list? If it's not, maybe you should rethink what you are doing.

Good Neighbors

I suppose "good" is a relative term - but how would you define a good neighbor?

On our street, I feel confident in distilling the characteristics down to two types of neighbors: The kind who can't be bothered (because they already have enough going on in their lives - for which, I reserve no judgment), and the kind who will drag you out to watch a spectacular sunset (because it's spectacular). Our next door neighbors are of the latter breed. They are the type of people who you immediately like (for reasons unknown to you) - friendly and welcoming, with big big hearts. And this week, they lost a sister to suicide.

My heart swells for them. We brought them loaves of bread (such a seemingly small gesture in the face of such big circumstances), and through the pain, frustration, and anger you can still see the love & appreciation in their faces.

How unfortunate that neighbors like these are so few and far between, and more unfortunate still that this particular set has to face such difficulties.

A few years ago I had a friend who always ended her answering machine message with "be good to yourself" - I would extend this gesture to you, and suggest that your neighbors are worth such goodness as well.

The Orginizational Gene

Photo by jazzmasterson.

I'm convinced this is genetic.

Somewhere between the anality of Martha Stewart's labeled shoe boxes, jars of ribbon, and wallpapered cannisters, and the chaos of Oscar the Grouch's trash can lies my study.

I say this is genetic because this is very reminiscent of my mother's workspace, as well as my grandmother's workspace. (My dad's study, on the other hand, is pristine in comparison - why couldn't I get THAT gene?).

In attempts to organize, I've turned my closet into storage space, removing the hanging rod & replacing it with six foot long bracketed shelves and still I have clutter spilling out into the room. I have a work desk whose surface I've not seen in months, and art supplies that haven't seen the light of day since we moved last. At this juncture I have a handy half-moon path around my desk - leading from the door to my desk chair. All the rest of the floor space is filled with four foot high boxes of stacked clutter.

I look at magazine spreads that show artist's studios & am in awe. They always seem to have the perfect storage solutions: the old card catalogues from libraries gone by, the flat storage found at some flea market for a steal, book shelves built of old dresser drawers.... Yet whenever I go to the flea markets & thrift stores, all I find are rotted out partical board shelves and cheap plastic crates that wouldn't even hold a milk carton.

In my frustration, I draw out plans for the perfect storage solutions. My sketchbook is full of schematics for computer desks, mobile art desks, paper & tool storage, even hidden shelving units. It's my own little (organized) world & I disappear into it on occassion.

What would your organized world look like? Where do you disappear to when daydreaming or imagining your room | house | garden | office | etc?

Holiday Booklist

If you're looking for good gift-giving books this holiday season, here are some ideas

click on the image or the link for more information:

Visual Chronicles: The No-Fear Guide to Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos and Altered Books

Art journaling is fun, cathartic and EASY. Each chapter of Visual Chronicles quiets common fears such as "Nothing happens in my life." or "I'm just not artistic." with projects such as the "My Day Unfolds Journal", and "Experiments with Composition." Inside, you'll learn that journaling doesn't take big chunks of time--just bits and pieces here and there, whenever the spirit strikes. "Get Going" exercises offer instant ideas such as listening to the conversations you have with yourself or recognizing that meaningful ephemera is a part of each and every day. Soon, you'll see that inspiration awaits all around you: a midnight trip to the store, a favorite scarf, an unexpected phone call, junk email, your breakfast plate . . .

Living Out Loud

Remember those childhood days spent running in your bare feet, playing make-believe, and most of all, living life with wonderment? That youthful enthusiasm and playfulness are key to discovering who you are and what you love to do. Living Out Loud is the perfect prescription for a creative jump start to your life. Included are games, projects, activities, crafts, postcards, and playful ideas that will send you off on an exciting adventure, where you'll discover inspiration around and within you.

The True and the Questions: A Journal

In her books Spilling Open, Brave on the Rocks, and Messy Thrilling Life, Sabrina Ward Harrison shared her thoughts, fears, hopes, and joys through vibrantly illustrated journal entries. Her new work, The True and the Questions, invites readers to allow themselves to "spill open" and create their own illustrated journal, and leaves plenty of space for them to do so. Sabrina's gorgeous art and moving text are interspersed with thought-provoking prompts to readers, encouraging them to draw, paint, collage, and journal.

Drawing From Life: The Journal as Art

Jennifer New takes readers on a spirited tour into the private worlds of journal keepers an architect, a traveler, a film director, an archeologist, a cancer patient, a songwriter, a quiltmaker, a gardener, an artist, a cyclist, and a scientist, to name just a few illustrating a broad range of journaling styles and techniques that in the end show how each of us can go about documenting our everyday lives. Excerpts from journals by such artists as Maira Kalman, Steven Holl, David Byrne, and Mike Figgis give us a peek at how creative souls observe, reflect, and explore.

ReadyMade: How to Make [Almost] Everything: A Do-It-Yourself Primer

You need this book. As the stuff of life piles up and things spin out of control, we could all use a little help. These never-before-seen designs and how-tos are full of surprise and wonder. Learn how to turn everyday objects into spellbinding inventions to give away to friends or keep for yourself. Our simple self-improvement techniques will make you smarter, better-looking, and more well-adjusted.

The Architecture of Happiness
	With this entertaining and stimulating book, de Botton (How Proust Can Change Your Life) examines the ways architecture speaks to us, evoking associations that, if we are alive to them, can put us in touch with our true selves and influence how we conduct our lives.

Build Your Own Personal Bert

Artist Bert Simons, through the magic of 3D programming, has created a printable paper clone of himself, and now you too can have your very own Bert Simons clone:

right click on this link and save the pdf file to your computer. Print the 12 pages with over 100 parts on thick (80 grams) paper and start cutting and glueing and make your own personal Bert.

Sweating Small Stuff & Big Rocks

A little nugget from Stephen Covey:

One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"

Everyone in the class said, "Yes."

Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"

"No!" the class shouted.

Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"

"No," the speaker replied, "That's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all." What are the 'big rocks' in your life? Your children; Your loved ones; Your education; Your dreams; A worthy cause; Teaching or mentoring others; Doing things that you love; Time for yourself; Your health; Your significant other? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you'll fill your life with little things you worry about that don't really matter, and you'll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks). So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first."

Everyday Greatness: Inspiration for a Meaningful Life
	Topics include: Searching for Meaning, Taking Charge, Starting Within, Creating the Dream, Teaming with Others, Overcoming Adversity and Blending the Pieces. was $24.99 now $16.49 | Buy Now

You've Been Spammed

Recently, I've been collecting those rather fluxian spam names that have popped up in my email box. I have yet to decide what to do with them, trying to stretch beyond the initial urge to make wall or toilet paper from them... I was thinking of something with embroidery.



The List... (so far)

Mervin Ochsner
Dada Gregoire
Ailpein St Louis
Chad Eidem
Peri Wimpy
Mora Bash
Sergius Pillar
Isidora Lovingood
Efrai Riese
Daciana Street
Avocatio Phosphoresc
Arto Restor
Greenis Judge
Sepp Heron
Jabbr Satterfield
Allud Traumati

Hectic Holiday (Eating) Season is Upon Us

This holiday season is particularly hectic at our household. Not only are we gearing up for time spent with our family, but we are also hitting the end of Semester (ahh, I remember it well). In a household with one graduate student and one college instructor, we're getting double whamied with Finals (both the taking and the grading). With heads spinning, we can barely think about what to have for dinner tonight, much less holiday gift giving, and I don't know when the last time the dishes were done.

Tempting as it is to bring home fast food, or even $4 frozen meals from the grocery store - we've opted for the healthier, less expensive, easy meal at home (and I'm not talking about a bowl of cereal here folks-- c'mon, we've all done it). No, I'm talking about deliciously easy meals, with easy leftovers:

PARMESAN ENCRUSTED TILAPIA

Ingredients:

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspooons paprika
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 tilapia fillets (about 1 pound total)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400º. In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the fish with the lemon wedges.


Source: Everyday | Rachel Ray

TUNA PUTANESCA & PENNE

Ingredients:

Salt
1 pound penne
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Two 6-ounce cans olive oil–packed tuna, lightly drained
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
Calamata olives, pitted and chopped (a handful) - optional
One 28-ounce can diced Italian tomatoes
Flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (a generous handful)

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
   
2. While the pasta is working, heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the Olive oil. Add the tuna, flaking it with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the capers and olives and heat until warmed through, 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and parsley, lower the heat a little and simmer for 5 minutes.
   
3. Add a ladle of the pasta cooking liquid to the sauce. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and toss.
   

   Source: Everyday | Rachel Ray

PASTA FRITTATA

Ingredients:

12 ounces cooked spaghetti
3 ounces sliced green onions (& any other vegetables you want to add)
3 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetable spray or margarine
3 heaping tablespoons shredded Fontina -optional
6 medium eggs
2-1/2 cups half and half
5 teaspoons cornstarch
Dash nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. Beat eggs, half and half, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg thoroughly until all ingredients are completely blended.
   
3. Blend the spaghetti, green onion, parmesan, and bacon in a bowl until evenly mixed.
   
4. Coat a 1-1/2-quart round baking dish, including walls, with spray or margarine. Empty the spaghetti mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly.
   
5. Add the frittata batter to cover the fillling mix.
   
6. Bake in a 350-degree F oven for about 25 minutes until center is set. When center is set, cover the frittata evenly with the Fontina and bake until cheese is golden. Turn off the heat and open oven door. Let the frittata set in the open oven for 15 minutes for the batter to set more firmly and make removing from the dish easy.
   Yield: 4 servings
   

   Source: About.com

GREEK TUNA SALAD

Ingredients:

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup pitted Calamata olives
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
One 10-ounce bag mixed salad greens, such as Mediterranean or European mix
Two 6-ounce cans olive oil-packed solid light tuna, drained and flaked

Directions:

1. Put the lemon zest and juice into a screw-top jar. Press the garlic and salt together with the side of a knife until the garlic is mashed; scrape it into the jar. Add pepper to taste and the olive oil. Screw on the lid and shake well until blended.
   
2. Put the tomatoes, olives and onion in a large salad bowl. Shake the dressing again and stir about half into the salad. Add the greens and toss. Gently stir in the tuna, then taste the salad and add a bit more dressing if needed.
   

   Source: Everyday | Rachel Ray

Click For a full week's menu & grocery list

Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats--A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners (A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook)
	Even your favorite dinner can lose its appeal when it’s in constant rotation, so mix it up! With her largest collection of recipes yet, Food Network’s indefatigable cook Rachael Ray guarantees you’ll be able to put something fresh and exciting on your dinner table every night for a full year... without a single repeat! was 19.95, now $11.97 | Buy Now

Even Do Not Disturb Signs are Getting Creative

From Dexinger.com

Do Not Disturb Signs Get a Makeover

While you were sleeping, the "Do Not Disturb" sign turned into a clever, artful symbol of slumber.

A decade ago, most hotels viewed the dutiful door hanger like the shower cap -- an unsophisticated tool. Now, they're using the signs to brand themselves, express their personalities and appeal to image-conscious guests.

"Fuhgettaboudit," exclaims the slender black sign at Le Parker Meridien, a New York hotel with a New York attitude. "Composing a classic: Quiet please," intones the brightly colored hanger at Hotel Allegro, a music-themed hotel in Chicago's theater district. The tomato-red sign at Chicago's Hotel 71 takes brevity to an extreme: "No."

"Within the last five to 10 years, hotels have started stepping out to create something different that's going to attract people and keep them coming back," says Leon Banowetz, of Banowetz & Co. in Dallas. The advertising and graphic design firm created the chic, minimalist black "ZZZZZZZ (Catching some Zs)" sign that dangles from doors at Dallas' stylish Hotel Za Za.

My Favorite do not disturb sign has to be "Obsessed with Dreaming."

Why not make your own Do Not Disturb sign to use while meditating, napping, or whenever?

Activity: Make Your Own Do Not Disturb Sign

• Download the Door Hanger (Vertical text) template.
  
• Open the document and edit the text as needed.
  
• Print a test sheet to make sure the text is properly aligned.
  
• Load Cardstock into your printer, print your Door Hanger, and cut it out.

Source: Perfect Print Templates

To view one man's collection of Do Not Distrub Signs, visit the Do Not Disturb Web site

Evil Doers Beware!

Migs the marvelous mouser was at it again last night. In my dream-world daze of 3am, I heard her howlings of success as she caught and released another mouse. Although in dream terms it translated into a series of maze-like images including Migs-as-Super-hero, replete with sickeningly sweet techni-color (a la Roy Lichtenstein).

This may have had something to do with me spending most of my evening printing and cutting out Super Hero Magnets (as gifts for some friends).

At any rate, hearing her mousing-howl in my sleepy daze, I mistook it for cries of help. I patted the bed (still half asleep), and called her name, inviting her to come join me in my dream-world, before I realized that what I was actually doing was inviting a cat with a mouse up onto my bed. I jolted awake and out of bed in order to intercept our super-hero. (Luckily for me, she'd already lost the mouse under the dishwasher, where it would stay.)

Secure in the notion that she'd done her duty, protecting us from the mouse, she jumped into bed an hour later (sans mouse, thankfully).

Now maybe I just have Super heroes on the brain, but we have a friend who, instead of donning different "hats," to describe his various "roles," dons super-hero capes - and why not? Why not lift your status from the ordinary hat-wearing role, to the Super heroified-caped crusader role?

Challenge: Be a Super Hero
I challenge you to become your own Super hero: More powerful, more colorful, able to leap tall stacks of files in a single bound.... You don't have to make yourself a costume (unless you want to), but give your ordinary powers an extraordinary boost & see if it changes your attitude towards your daily/weekly duties.

A Simple Way to Bring Creativity into Your Home

Image by Jennifer Scott-McLaughlin

A few months ago I opened a home design magazine and was delighted to see that the featured interior had kitchen cabinets that doubled as chalkboards! How fabulous! Grocery list? it's written right there on the cabinet door!

Now, for some people this may be too out there - too much like graffitti in the safety of your own house. I understand completely, but why not take a step back, and hang chalkboard as you would a piece of art, only instead of some famous artist making the work - YOU do it. Draw a masterpiece in chalk! Hey, if you don't like it, you can always erase it, right?

I truly believe that the most overlooked of the artistic media, is the simple chalk board. Here you have, literally, a blank slate on which to create. Who says it has to be used solely for academic purposes? What better way to introduce a little abstract art into your world, than hang a chalk board & doodle all over it?!?

If Dustin Hoffman can do it in I Heart Huckabees, why can't you?

Until we moved, we had, hanging in our dining room, a 4' x 6' black board - made by yours truly for less than $30 -(I'll tell you how in a minute). The idea was that each week (or month) I would either add to or erase and redraw the design to my fancy. It's an easy, inexpensive, & fun way to bring art into your world - especially if you can't afford the stuff hanging in the galleries. (oh, and by the way, there are actually some artists that now use this as their medium, see image above for case in point.)

Now for the How To's:

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHALK BOARD

MATERIALS

Luan or 1/4" smooth plywood cut to your desired size
Fine grit sand paper
chalkboard paint - this is usually found in the paint section of Lowe's, Home Depot, or even Wal-Mart. You'll find it in either a quart-sized or spray can, & it comes in black or green.
Paint roller and tray (if using the quart sized)
Chalk


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sand your wood until it is smooth. Wipe with a damp cloth to remove sawdust.
   
2. Follow the directions on the Chalkboard paint for application
   
3. once paint is dry, you'll need to condition the board by rubbing chalk all over it. This fills in all the little microscopic holes in the paint and makes an even smoother, accepting surface.
   
4. clean the board with a damp rag, and begin drawing.
   Try using colored chalk for a greater variety & if you want to get really fancy, try putting it in a frame (no glass, of course)