November 28, 2012

PROJECT WISCONSIN

Project WI // Polar, WI

Project WI // New Holstein, WI

Project WI // Tony, WI

Project WI // Harding, WI

Project WI // Rudolph, WI

Project WI // Milwaukee, WI

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Madison, WI is teeming with some pretty cool design talent.

Last week, I interviewed the guys from Project Wisconsin for a freelance article I am writing for the Isthmus. As an aspiring graphic designer, the assignment couldn't have been more perfect. Josh Cox + Doua Vue have made it their 2012 goal to brand 365 of Wisconsin's more than 1200 towns. They post a new branded town each day, and I'm endlessly impressed by their constant creativity. Their designs are cheeky, sometimes borderline-inappropriate (check out Spread Eagle, WI) and fun. It makes this Minnesota transplant happy to live in the land of cheese curds, beer and snowmobiles.

Plus, that Tonya Harding crowbar-to-the-knee one in honor of Harding, WI gets me every time.

Every single time, I tell you.

Published by Holly Whittlef in Inspiration

November 18, 2012

MAYA

All of this art stuff is old and yet so new for me. The same goes for photography.

I distinctly remember my first photo class in high school with Mr. Gustafson. As an awkward teen with a frizzy mop of hair and braces, I was in total awe of Mr. G - a young, hip guy who took some of the most amazing photos I had ever seen. I wanted to take those kind of photos so bad but was inevitably disappointed when my hand-developed film would come out a mushy blend of gray tones and underexposed whites. But I was determined to be better.

When my old boss emailed me a few months ago asking if I would take family pictures of her, her husband and adorable daughter Maya, I channeled that same youthful determination and despite the cloying fear of failure, said yes. Not even five minutes into our session at a local park, Maya's infectious energy and hilarious range of faces + laughs made me think I'd like to do this again.

A reminder to myself: yes is always the right answer.

Published by Holly Whittlef in Photography

November 9, 2012

THE BEGINNING

Markmaking Collage

This piece of art represents a lot for me.

The haphazard marks of black ink and gouache and my own Xeroxed hair were my first foray back into art. A craft I've loved deeply for so long but seemingly forgot about after leaving school for the "real" world where practical skills seemed of more value than art. But working in state government was only bearable for so long, before I yearned for creativity and a colorful world that strayed outside the boundaries of the rigid expectations of politics. I missed coloring and doodling and drawing and writing and putting it all together to create something of my own.

So I quit.

And now, at age 27, I am going back to school for graphic design. The feeling is calming. It is simple and right. To explore my artisitic vision and improve myself in all of the endless areas of design makes me ungodly giddy. I may have just peed myself thinking about it just now. Everyday, I get to draw, photograph, code, sketch, glue, paint and doodle. This is what I am paying for (and hopefully one day, going to get paid for). It's kind of awesome.

Because I am a scatterbrained and often unorganized mess, I started this blog as a way to document what I am doing in AND out of class. School projects. The freelance work I've started. The doodles I do when I'm supposed to be listening to how financial aid works. The photography I take. And all the other little things that inspire the little world around me on a daily basis.

Here I am...at the beginning...starting all over... and whew, it feels good.

//

class  Design Fundamentals
what  Line Exploration

01 to create a b/w collage composition that expresses power, interest, variety + beauty of line
02 to explore a wide range of line making
03 final collage will be built on a 14 x 17 inch sheet of Bristol + mounted on a black 15 x 20 presentation board
04  use any and all media: pencil, charcoal, pen, brush but also explore more exotic instruments, such as string, straws, sticks, ball bearings, etc.

This was the perfect first project. Honestly, I had absolutely no plan going into this project other than to just have fun. I used bottle caps, hand-drawn textures, kitchen sink mats, rollers, paint brushes, crumpled up paper bags, ripped paper, fresh chives and my own hair to create this composition. The result is chaotic, funky and bold. And I love it.

Published by Holly Whittlef in art, school
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