Inspiration: ALS Ads

ALS ads

Communication Arts posted a review of the ALS Society of Canada ad campaign. The designs of the ads are poignant and conceptually powerful. This is a great example of how–as visual communicators–we could influence people’s perceptions. The white diagram is of a maze, suggesting there is “no signal” in ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).

Photo: Orchid


Orchid
Originally uploaded by shaire productions

Closeup of an Orchid from the Pacific Orchid Exposition at Fort Mason last weekend. Such complexity and beauty.

Artwork: Orchid Sketch

Orchid Sketch

This sketch was inspired by the Pacific Orchid Expo at Fort Mason. The pen/ink illustration was created in a couple of hours, during my commute.

San Francisco Pie Fight

SF Pie Fight

Laughing Squid posted a blog last week announcing Herbie Hatman’s (herbiehatman@gmail.com) invitation for the second (annual?) pie fight in downtown San Francisco at March 5, 5:39PM. Why? To celebrate the love of life in pure creamy decadence! BYOP and formal attire were encouraged. A pure cyberspace call-to-action.

I was very curious to check out the event, not knowing what to expect. A crowd of a hundred eagerly jostled together, mostly observing the mounting array of shaving cream and whipped cream pies. Only a handful were formally dressed (wedding dress, suits, etc). As the countdown began, the brave few became obvious as the onlookers (including myself) ran away. The next few moments became a scene of pure havoc as white splotches of cream few through the air with squeals of utter glee. Even as an observer, you became a participant, experiencing the energy and innocence of the moment. With a few dozen pies set up, the food fight only lasted a few minutes. The brick ground became so slippery that some folks skated across the ground. With the flying pies at a standstill, I stepped into the mess, snapping away. . . can’t wait for next year! Check out the photos on Flickr.

Inspiration: Andrew Jones and Conceptart.org

Andrew Jones

The art of Andrew Jones stems from his travels, digital media, sculpture, and a macabre fascination with cadavers. All his pieces have incredible energy and style. He creates concept art for video games, film, and books. Ballistic Publishing has a great article on him here.

As a personal project, Andrew teamed up with others to start conceptart.org, an online community of artists (mostly in the gaming industry) to showcase and receive feedback for their work. The site is sponsored mostly by Massive Black, a powerhouse in the entertainment industry (where Andrew is a Creative Director). Conceptart.org holds interactive workshops around the world, educating and inspiring other artists.