Summer Produce In The Santa Ynez Valley

It is HOT.  I mean HOT.  It is officially summer here in the Santa Ynez Valley. Every early Summer I think, it doesn't get too hot here, and then it happens.  The temperatures are in the high 90's day after day and I regret giving those tank tops away.  With heat, comes the ripened fruit from the wet winter and the windy spring.  

The bounty of produce that come from the Santa Ynez Valley is absolutely stunning. The summer fruits are starting to drop, and I'm scouring Pinterest, with the question,"What to do with extra...".  For me, I have a plethora of apricots and plums (2 varietals).  

The counter covered in fruit, and I love it. The colors that are produced from three fruit trees in my backyard is unbelievable.  Purple, orange, yellow, pink, and celery green, and more.  These colors are just a reminder of how intense natural colors can be.  I wish I could keep the fruit on the countertops all year long, but the flies will soon get to it and I can't waste all of this good food.  Next season there will be another color palette of produce to indulge in.  I just want to enjoy this color palette as long as possible.  Until next season...

Burnt Out - Fall Brings Burnt Tones To The Forefront

Hello Fall! 

I've missed you and all of my favorite natural colors.  Every Fall the landscape changes and I am reminded why it's my favorite time of year.  Visually it is my favorite time of year because the landscape has a burnt orange overlay extracting all of the ripeness of the earth, and each sunset is more incredible than the nights prior.  Playing with rich deep tones and also the light and bright tones of the tall grasses and the clear morning sky bring a unique contrast to the season.  Look outside and it's very probable you can create a new color chart with the tones you see from your window.  Now go play in some leaves or something!

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.

Hitting The Wall - Knowing When To Put The Mouse Down

At some point we all hit a wall.  Solution: oxygen.   I realize when I have hit a creative wall, when I realize I've gone around a design challenge and made it full circle to where I started.  That is when I know, time to get some oxygen.  It is incredible the amount of creativity and clarity that can come with taking a 5 minute walk outside, or just sitting outside for 5 minutes. Sometimes being so close to a project can cause you to lose a sense of your surroundings.  Take a break, check in with the outside world and refocus for more productive design time.

Don't Go Chasing Waterfall's - The Waterfall Process

The waterfall process is a linear process of creating, done by only moving on to the next phase of a project once the prior phase is complete.  There are pluses to the waterfall process, but if you go downstream too far it is often hard to get back on track.

This waterfall process used to be the core development processes of website creation, leading to one phase of planning.  I have found though, that many businesses use this way of project management when working through any type project.  The waterfall process can build a ton of momentum and undivided attention towards a project, which is usually a great thing.  Though, when there is so much momentum behind a project from the early stages it can be really difficult to asses the projection of the project and allow for mid-project maneuvering.  

Laying out the foundation in which you prefer to tackle a project before you even start the ideation stage, can change the outcome of the project drastically.