thank you for the play doh, julie!

Julie, a good friend and fellow designer, works at Hasbro doing packaging design, branding, and other nifty things for toys. She has recently re-introduced me and my roommate to the joys of Play Doh. Ah, the joy!

Bee and flower: inspired after watching the wonderful documentary film Queen of the Sun, which I would highly recommend.

fletcher’s fletchery: online!

Coming soon: www.fletchersfletchery.com. Stay tuned!

fletcher’s fletchery: arrow design mockups

Arrow materials / design concepts / mess-ups / and the like. A digital workshop in Adobe Photoshop.

t-shirt design: biodegrade

Inverted tetris… why not? (:

I have a few medium grey T-shirts left. Let me know if you’re interested in one or if you have suggestions for color combinations you’d like to see for next time.

bona fide green goods launches new e-commerce website

For the past several years, I have been designing print collateral, assisting with web production, and shooting product photography for Bona Fide Green Goods (formerly known as Real Green Goods), an earth-friendly department store based in Concord, New Hampshire. This month we’re excited to report that we’ve launched a new brand and a new online store – check it out! The new site features an extensive learning section, hundreds of sustainable, organic, fair trade, and recycled products, as well as 27 icons which act as a selection tool for customers interested in purchasing products with particular eco criteria.

I designed the new logo, promotional materials, and have been busy shooting photos of our newest products for the website. The designs reflect the brand’s focus on consumer education, socially and environmentally conscious products.

Here are some screenshots from bonafidegreengoods.com. Also, be sure to check out the blog!

bona fide categories

Here are a few of the icons I designed for the “shop by icon” feature. I enjoyed the challenge of coming up with a small, unique, simple visual representation for each and every concept (whether it be literal or abstract).  See all 27 of the icons in action and “shop by icon”!

t-shirt design: geese

I printed the geese illustration (in orange) on a batch of yellow T-shirts and they’ve almost all sold at Bona Fide Green Goods! I would like to try the graphic on a blue shirt for the next batch.

t-shirt graphic: flock of geese

new projects up on annaeshelman.com

I’ve uploaded some new projects to my portfolio website. Take a look!

back in the shire

After four months in DC, I am back in New Hampshire for a while and am keeping very busy with a number of interesting freelance design projects. I hope to post some new work to my portfolio soon.

In addition, I’m enjoying the abundance of fluffywhite via snowshoeing excursions into forest-deep and apple orchards and such.

>> New Hampshire

smithsonian museum of natural history: behind-the-scenes

>> photos of DC.

I am very grateful to have had an internship at the National Museum of Natural History this past fall. With a background in graphic design and a fascination of other cultures, I arrived at the museum with the desire to learn about the programs and projects of the Arctic Studies Center, as well as the inner-workings of the Smithsonian itself.

On my first day I found my way through the maze of hallways in the anthropology department with Beatrix Arendt, my primary advisor, and began work on several digitization projects that I would continue in the coming months. In addition to scanning and editing slides from Stephen Loring’s archives, I worked with Beatrix to create a map of the North Atlantic region for a publication, as well as a map of Newfoundland and Labrador illustrating French, English, and Basque settlements. I also helped digitize site plans from excavations of 18th-century Inuit sod houses on Anniowaktook Island and Adlavik Island. Interpreting field notes, drawings, and photographs and translating them to vector art was a very interesting process. I enjoyed the challenge of creating a visually cohesive system to represent the materials found at each site and finding ways to differentiate them so each element could be seen in context. At the Museum Support Center, I had the opportunity to familiarize myself with the artifacts themselves as I assisted with cataloging and photographing material from the Adlavik collection. Involvement with these projects sparked my interest in Labrador Inuit culture and allowed me to realize the importance of community archaeology, preservation of heritage, and other initiatives of the Arctic Studies Center.

As an intern I was able to participate in various activities throughout the museum. A few memorable events were: the informative new employee orientation where I learned about the internal organization of the Smithsonian Institution from the director, Dr. Cristián Samper, as well as other members of the executive staff; a tour of Written in Bone: Forensic Files of the 17th-Century Chesapeake with the curator of the exhibit; a behind-the-scenes glimpse of taxidermist Paul Rhymer’s work in the the Exhibitions department; and a fascinating excursion into a pod at the Museum Support Center. Experiences like these exposed me to the various departments of the museum and the significant role museums play in our society.

Working with everyone at the Arctic Studies Center has been an incredibly rewarding experience and a genuine pleasure. Thanks to this internship, I am inspired to partner with cultural institutions in the future.

Check out the Arctic Studies Center online! www.mnh.si.edu/arctic

internship at ripe: green design studio in washington, dc

Although the studio consists of just a few team members, I quickly realized that ripe is no small deal.

During my four-month internship I experienced what it’s like to be a designer in a full service studio. While I was part of the team, I had the opportunity to do a mix of everything – whether it be researching and inspiration-gathering for a new brand concept, designing layouts for a website, sitting in on a client meeting, or final production work for a stationary package. There was always an interesting task to tackle.

It’s been great to work with a team that is just as serious about environmental responsibility as they are about creative, high-quality design. ripe considers how sustainability can affect all aspects of design, from conceptualization to final output. And from bamboo floors to French-pressed coffee, ripe is always seeking newer and cooler ways to become even “greener” around the studio itself.

One of the most valuable experiences I had was being immersed in behind-the-scenes organization of such a productive studio. Staying on task was vital, but the laid back atmosphere helped the day-to-day flow of photoshop files and phone calls, while generous amplification of Pandora radio tended to boost creativity by 300%. And of course, there was an adorable kitten to play with while taking a break from the screen (and occasionally some amazing chocolate dipped bacon lollipops from Farmers & Fishers to munch on)!

Check out the studio: www.ripe.com

new hampshire in november

>> New Hampshire

grocery store wars

Grocery Store Wars from Green.com on Vimeo.

This video was produced by Free Range Studios.

washington, dc

I have just moved down to Washington, DC, for two internships. I will be interning at a small green design studio, as well as at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and am excited to get started!

Since my arrival I have been taking lots of photos of architecture in the city… quite a change from the rural landscape. Check out my flickr page for [hopefully] semi-regular updates:

>>Washington, DC

bjorn visits the birdfeeder

Bear-noises in my backyard. (Make sure your volume’s up!)

balmorhea: remembrance

remembrance // balmorhea // all is wild, all is silent from jared hogan on Vimeo.

My friend recently introduced me to Balmorhea (found on thesixtyone.com), and this video by Jared Hogan. His other video work is beautiful as well.

HHH = lake days

hot air ballooning

California, June 29, 2003

>> hot air balloon.

a favorite walk

Foss Mountain.


Courtesy of GoogleEarth.


Atop.

bill shannon = awesome.

WORK IT OUT – RJD2 from Pedro Moreira on Vimeo.

squeezebox: intaglio print series

Junior year I took an elective printmaking course. I created an edition of five prints celebrating my uncle’s old accordion. To focus attention to the beauty of this instrument’s elaborate design, I composed a series of images which support the rhythm and contrast of the accordion and its sound. Each print is 22” x 21”.

gourds


Dried, from my mother’s garden.

real green goods logo trademarked

The logo I designed for Real Green Goods [EDIT: now we're Bona Fide Green Goods] has officially been legally researched and officially trademarked. Before submitting the mark for review, I took the original 2007 design and revised the colors, adjusted the proportions slightly, and tweaked a few other details. Here is the final version:

I am currently working on a typeface for a new-and-improved logomark with the above symbol. The new store identity is semi-undercover for now…. It’ll be released (along with a new “look”and functionality of our e-commerce website) at some point this fall. Keep tuned to Real Green Goods online for these updates.

i met the walrus

I Met The Walrus John Lennon Interview The Beatles Revolutionary Genius from JQuestionmarkH on Vimeo.

I love this.
(Except for the visual remark on Canada near the end.)

made of organic wool

I just photographed various sizes of wool balls for Real Green Goods’ online store. Both Penny and the kitties lovelovelove the texture and the natural sheepy-scent!

>> more product photography

kittens and puppies and such!

Our new kittens!:


Minnie and Boo


Birdwatching.


I accidentally discovered Boo’s new favorite activity: high-held housetour. He immediately starts to purrrr when I lift him above my head.


Pennylane at Rocky Gorge.

summer snacks. (:


moonwalks and earth-orbits

Today is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. I’m definitely adding this one to my collection of favorite special-Googles.


Note: The ‘Land on the Moon’ feature in Google Earth is pretty much awesome.

Astronaut Kathy Sullivan was the first American woman to walk in space. She wrote an introduction to the book “Looking At Earth”, a project produced by the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian. I found this gorgeous book up in my attic yesterday and have become immersed in its satellite imagery, aerial photograpy, rich scientific language, and cultural insights which quench my desire for new reading material (while fueling my fondness of Google Earth-eske images and all things geophysics). Here is an excerpt from Sullivan’s introduction.

“…Imagine soaring over the planet at an altitude of several hundred miles, traveling at a speed of nearly 18,000 miles an hour, yet feeling that you are floating in a great airship. Every moment presents you with a view that draws out myriad streams of thought, creating a wonderful weave of surprise and remembrance, curiosity and childlike delight. Colors you’ve never imagined, shapes that are strikingly like the maps you’ve seen so often before, places you’ve lived in, visited, or read about – they all scroll below at a seemingly majestic, yet, in actuality, startlingly fast pace…. at night, the most profuse array of stars you have ever seen fills your view toward the horizon. Every orbit gives you the treat of seeing constellations from another hemisphere – a rarity for most Earth-bound people. The thin, diffusely glowing band that marks the Earth’s air-glow layer is plainly visible if the Moon is not too full. The air-glow curves away toward the pole, where it merges with the spectacular green arcs of the aurora. The arcs undulate in slow, grand waves, as if they were gigantic draperies stirred by a faint gbreeze. The more active arcs are higher and brighter, with rays that extend from beneath you in the atmosphere to well above the spacecraft’s altitute…”

I especially enjoy her description of the Northern Lights, as well as her concluding statements about how important it is to educate and motivate ourselves to develop a deeper interest in our planet. To broaden our understanding of not only the issues we’re faced with currently, but also the science of our natural environment, will enrich our lives and (in turn) the land we live on. And perhaps this inspired awareness will rouse in us what she calls “planetary patriotism”.

Here is one of my favorite satellite images which was created after the book was published. To read about how this image was made, go to NASA’s Earth Observatory website.

wise words of wisdom

Words from a rural New Hampshirite:

“You’d think we live a quiet life, but way out here, it’s way way way too adventurous!”

“Give them each their own football, then they won’t fight over the same one.”

Oh grandma, you’re excellent.

kuroshio sea

Kuroshio Sea – 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world – (song is Please don’t go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson.

bald eagle vs. loons

Mom, Penny-pup and I, tired of being inside on such a steamy summer day, drove down the hill to the lake (the thing to do on a beautiful afternoon). As we trudged down the sandy slope to the water’s edge, we were unaware that we were about to become witnesses of an epic event. I slid my feet into the water; refreshing, indeed, but there was something amiss. Across the water, a single loon (common sight) was calling not in the typical ‘laughing’ tone, but in a shrill almost seagull-like cry. Was it shouting for help? Was it injured, or was it mourning the loss of a chick or mate? Another minute passed. A second bird joins the scene. From afar, even without my distance glasses, I could immediately see that the bird curving around the opposite shore of the lake was a bald eagle: its enormous presence in the air, white head and tail, and weight as it swooped over the loon in the water and shook the tall pine it landed in. (My mom shrieks, “The Eagle has landed!”, only after a moment realizing the ridiculous coincidence of this week being the moon-landing anniversary.) Less than 30 seconds later, a second loon streaked across the sky, squawking, flapping, following the path of the eagle, and landed in the water next to the other loon. Both loons floated under the tree the eagle was in for nearly half an hour, both loons never lightening their dire, depressing calls. A man in a kayak weaved in and out underneath the tree where we believed the eagle to be. The eagle must have interfered with the loon’s nest… a chick, or possibly an egg? In an instant, the eagle took off from its limb and began to soar the perimeter of the lake. Gloriously immense and powerful in flight— the eagle circles closer, closer, closer to where we are standing on the beach— it soars right above our heads. The loons floated along the shoreline together, silent, bobbing slightly as they return home.