Living in Santa Barbara County has many benefits. One yearly reminder of just how beautiful living on the Central Coast is, is Fiesta. Color fill the flag lined State street, and muti-colored confetti seams to rain from the balconies above. It is a time to remember Santa Barbara's heritage and also to embrace the people and cultures which settled the Central Coast. Dancing, costumes, food, art and craft are all on display and it's time to party. The vibrant colors that fill the streets are my personal favorite part about Fiesta. The amount of color everywhere just makes me smile, and I'm not alone in this feeling. Showcasing vibrant colors actually makes people genuinely happy. The evidence is right on the street. I think this is why color is my favorite part of fiesta, people are just happier. Viva La Fiesta!
Rituals - 10 minutes of daily drawing (free drawing)
Art has been used IN rituals for thousands of years. You probably have recognized art and design in your personal rituals. Rituals like going to a religious service, the mural you see on your daily commute, the design on your favorite coffee mug you use every morning. Even rituals like walking the dog, and the trusty Nike swoosh on the shoes you grab overtime to perform this ritual.
How often does art BECOME a ritual though? Incorporating a dose of creating can be incredibly rewarding. There may not be any monetary gains from a daily doodle, but it can be a great stress reliever or just a good daily laugh. A doodle a day, keeps the doctor at bay... I think that is how it goes.
Stacked - Graphic Design Stacking Elements
Stacking elements is a powerful tool in illustration and in typography. To use stacking as a tool, you must put the emphasis on the right element and then work around it. Identify the key word, message, letter or icon first. Building around a central point helps bring attention to the intended element. If too many elements are emphasized the overall message and intent can be lost in a sea of Jenga! like text or elements.
ASCEND- Creating Visually Interesting Design
Go up. The eye doesn't always have to go left to right, it can also go up. Adding variety to the direction we expect to view characters can add the visual intrigue it takes to capture a new customer. Upwards and onwards...
CONTRAST - Opposites Attract
Light/dark, rough/smooth, thin/fat, why are we so attracted to contrast? Contrast draws us in and makes us compare. Contrast can bring out the best in a design or the worst depending on how it is executed. Evaluating how contrast can pull the eye in or define the space allows contrast to be an asset to the final design.
CREATE & STAY WILD - California In The Springtime
Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with being wild. Harnessing wildness into a cohesive thought is so tough, so embrace it and create! Wildness gives us an outlet to express the energy that isn’t used or exercised in day-to-day life. So create & stay wild.
SEASONS CHANGE - Seasonal California
The poppies are almost out in full bloom, the lupines are sprinkled about and color is all that I see. Currently, I am completely in awe of the amount of vibrant colors surrounding me. I have realized this seasonal transformation is a surprise to me because I have been in a city for the last 3 years of the flourishing spring season. I hope the realization of spring and the new beginnings never grow old.
Repetition - Pattern, An Essential Element Of Design
Repetition: the recurrence of an action or event.
Repetition, in design, can have a varied effect. When large objects are repeated it can be shocking... like Stone Hendge shocking. Small objects repeated make the eye look for a pattern, for instance in tile work. In architecture, repetition is often present and unnoticed when the pattern created by the repetition is traditional to our culture. When traveling to a different culture, vivid new patterns appear in every surface. Searching for repetition when you travel to another culture can offer insight into a cultures history, religion, and people.
Support Public Art
Have you ever gone to a large city and noticed the amount of sculptures, gardens, and murals there are? Why is all of this great public art in large cities? It might be that large cities have a budget for public arts, and they have a large platform that many tourists and visitors pass by and view. Public Art is an important feature in all communities though, it can bring people together or just start conversation. Smaller cities and towns need the effects of public art just as much a large cities, so why is there less public art in smaller communities? Rally behind your local public arts projects and embrace the beauty and conversation that will follow.