Welcome back.
But I swear, if that creepy ice cream truck with its warbly mechanical tune parks itself across the street from my house every day from now until September, I may go crazy.
It's gonna be May.
I had the windows in my apartment open all day and all night yesterday, and, as I was listening to the birds, and my neighbours' kids (they were jump-roping (jumping rope?) honestly - when was the last time you saw kids actually doing that) and my neighbours' dogs, and cars, and roof repairs, and high heels tip-tapping by, and garbage trucks groaning up our steep street and gobbling up our trash, the parp of air brakes as punctuation... I realized that I had missed the sounds as much as light and air of spring.
Welcome back.
But I swear, if that creepy ice cream truck with its warbly mechanical tune parks itself across the street from my house every day from now until September, I may go crazy.
Welcome back.
But I swear, if that creepy ice cream truck with its warbly mechanical tune parks itself across the street from my house every day from now until September, I may go crazy.
April Desktop
Happy April. It feels like it's been a long time coming....
I heard on the news a few days ago that someone has filed suit against Punxsutawney Phil for predicting a short winter. Poor little groundhog. (But, seriously, get it right next time, kay?)
I heard on the news a few days ago that someone has filed suit against Punxsutawney Phil for predicting a short winter. Poor little groundhog. (But, seriously, get it right next time, kay?)
My one year anniversary...of work!
The closing performance of the last show I stage managed was exactly one year ago. Which means that I have been working for myself for...exactly one year. (Okay this is not *exactly* true: there was a two-week coaching gig I had at the National Theatre School and there was a small week-long workshop sometime last fall but...this is much more poetic, right?).
So I tallied up all of the projects I had completed in the past 365 days and made this simple, colourful chart. I was surprised to see that I've done more Print Ads than anything. This chart is funny to me, though - while the Print Ad blocks look like a big chunk of work, each ad took very little time to do. Something like Visual Identity (the last block) would have taken hours and hours, but since I've only done one of them it gets only one little square of space. It would be fun - and a whole heck of a lot more math - to redo this chart with estimated hours spent on each project. Oh gosh, I *am* a nerd.
I've been so grateful for the work this past year. I just wanted to take a moment and acknowledge that. It's on days like this I feel that maybe, just maybe, I can pull this whole thing off.
Happy Norooz
I was commissioned a few weeks ago to design an invitation for a Norooz, or Persian New Year party! Part of the fun was the research (yes, I'm a nerd) into the colours and symbols most associated with and important to the festival. The person who commissioned the invitation also wanted it to reflect her personal leanings towards the modern, so I was happy to give it a bit of a contemporary twist. I also nearly fell down a rabbit hole of paisley patterns, but that's maybe a story for another time.
If you or someone you know is in need of a custom invitation this coming Spring and Summer, just email me at kinnon [at] kinnonelliott.com for a quote! I would love to hear from you.
If you or someone you know is in need of a custom invitation this coming Spring and Summer, just email me at kinnon [at] kinnonelliott.com for a quote! I would love to hear from you.
Toronto
I've been living with the phrase "Toronto's my home and I'll be here all weekend long" swirling around my head for years now. I even named a series of architectural buildings prints using it (though it is sadly impractical and may have to be retired). It's from Matthew Barber's song "Dust On My Collar" and, in it, he repeats the line three times, singing with such joy and determination. I've always felt it was a bit of an athem: No, I don't live in the city and escape to the country on weekends. No, I choose to go out and explore and wander and get lost in amongst my city's buildings and neighbourhoods. I want to live here, and I want to live here, warts (and stuck streetcars, and raccoons, and traffic) and all.
Speaking of those architectural prints, if you happen to live here in Toronto, you can now buy them at Telegramme Prints! Telegramme has long been one of my favourite print shops here in the city, so I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled that they've joined the Telegramme family.
March Desktop
We are living in a world of slush right now, and here in Toronto it's a bit early to be wishing for green (we'll still get snow until April) but I can't help myself.
Dear Spring,
Hurry hard.
Your pal,
Kinnon
Dear Spring,
Hurry hard.
Your pal,
Kinnon
A Valentine's Day Infographic
As a fun exercise, I did a little research on Valentine's Day - spoiler alert not one of my favourite holidays - and made this infographic. Enjoy!
You can also see it on my website.
Always Write Notes To Yourself
I was looking at my bookshelf this afternoon and saw Laurie Rosenwald's great New York Notebook - half blank notebook, half insider's guide to fun stuff in NYC - and took it down to flip through, when a handful of business cards fell out from between its pages. Apparently, I had gathered a few from stores and restaurants (okay, honestly, mostly restaurants) I had liked when I was last there with friends in 2010.
What I had completely forgotten was that I had written little notes on each of the cards - notes to remind myself why I had picked up that card, notes that captured that particular moment in time, there, in New York. I don't know if they'll be evocative to anyone else, but they were so delightful to me. I can picture each and every one of these places.
Some of the notes are very straightforward: I ate this here. Some are a little naive (did I really call Williamsburg dirty?), but all of them make me smile.
"amazing shrimp burrito here between the Intrepid and the East Side Tenement Museum on St. Patrick's Day, 2010"
Two friends and I visited the warship Intrepid and then, before doing the Tenement Museum tour (which I highly recommend) randomly chose this place for lunch and it blew. our. minds.
"Breakfast with the whole gang here - the most delicious lentils and goat cheese fritters. I let J try some and she ate nearly a whole one (I had 3 total) so I took an extra bite of her sandwich. March 20/10"
Even when you're on vacation, there's always time for a little spite.
"Too many ribs. A stone and lofty warehouse space with bbq to melt over and all I will remember is I got the shakes after eating too many ribs here. Can't wait to go back! March 19/10"
Those ribs were as big as my face.
"A necklace-chain of leaves became mine at this store in Williamsburg. The design, furniture and clothing stores were just the sort of style I wish I could afford. Strange, dirty little neighbourhood - I guess all of its pretty things are behind glass (or having a latte on Bedford.) March 19/10"
"Everyone else was tired or turning in for the night, so I took myself out for ice cream (Dulce de leche to die for) and wandered the West Village, buying books and marvelling at all the life spilling out of restaurants onto Bleecker Street. March 20/10"
Even on group trips (especially on group trips), it's important to have solo time.
"I had a delicious Reuben here (are Reubens Ukranian? I didn't think so) but it was a welcome stop on what became an epic foot tour of the East Village. March 18/10"
"Beautiful decor of tile, glass, fluorescent light tubes and numbered bottles. J and I had drinks (a Dark & Stormy for me, a New York sour for her) and talked about the way life was better here. March 18/10"
Yeah.
Always, always, always write notes to yourself.
Illustration Friday: Myth
I'm having a smite-y kind of day. Did you know that yesterday was Blue Monday, the saddest day of the year? Smite! Smite! Smite!
Phone Case
Butcher Sings Baker
Anyway, I'm really happy with the result. (Am I allowed to say that?) It was fun to mix a kind of romantic whimsy with hard angles and geometric shapes.
Other things to check out: Shannon's website, the Hugh's Room website, and the link to the Butcher Sings Baker Facebook event. You should go!
Illustration Friday: Ocean
I can't remember the last time I posted anything for Illustration Friday, but it's definitely been on my mind for a while. I'm not a resolution-maker, but I would like to make better use of my free time. The weekly topics from IF are great practice for quick, loose illustrations on a theme, and I need to start doing more of them.
Firefly project
Here's an illustration I finished at the end of last year for a children's theatre company. They do this fantastic project with kindergarten-aged children where they go into the class and help them develop short stories about whatever they like. (The compilation I read was peppered with ninja references). The kids write the stories, draw pictures to accompany, and then act them out for the whole class. The theatre company then assembles all of their stories and pictures into a booklet for the classroom and this will be its cover!
(My friends and I used to do this in grade 4. So what if we were really too old by that point and the storylines I'm sure made no sense, but, whatever, the teacher got a 20 minute break, and no one ever gave us a book at the end of it.)
January Desktop Calendar
I'm looking forward to spending my New Year's Eve with dear friends (some old, some new, some returned after an overseas adventure) and I'm excited for the year ahead. I hope you're spending your midnight tonight with *your* nearest and dearest, ready to welcome the new year with bright eyes and big dreams!
2013 Wall Calendar, Dress-up Styles
Every month of 2012 I put together and mailed my niece dress-up outfits I found at thrift stores around town. And because I have to illustrate *everything* I decided to put them all together in this 2013 Wall Calendar! Dresses all year long! Huzzah!
Holiday Cards for those special people: Mom & Dad
My parents commissioned their Christmas cards again this year, and so I collaged this Georgian Bay-inspired scene for them. An earlier draft had the strings of lights hanging in (what I thought was) a much less logical way on the tent - you would never poke holes in your tent, right? - and Mom was supportive of the change, but remarked "but lights on a tent are illogical anyway, aren't? I mean, where's the power source?"
Well played, Mom.
These are them all printed! Hooray!
New Initiatives Marketing Identity
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| Clockwise from top left: Letterhead, 5" x 7" Greeting Card, Business Card Front & Back, Sticker, and Envelope designs. |
Here's a little insight into an identity package that I designed this summer for Jennifer Kelly, Director of Marketing (and owner) of New Initiatives Marketing. Jennifer already had a strong philosophy and set of values for her company, and in the questionnaire I sent her she eloquently outlined her vision: marketing services for companies that are embarking on new things: bringing a product to market, entering new industries, launching a new service. The difference is that instead of just focusing on the strategy, her company puts the pieces together to bring it to reality in a thorough, detail-oriented, positive, and sophisticated way. I liked her energy right away, and I really wanted her logo and marketing materials to stand out.
And so began the design process. Interestingly enough, the "n" of the logo was the first thing I created, and then the bold, angular pattern behind it came in direct response to the feminine swirl of the "n"; I wanted the delicate loops and the strong angles to play off of each other. We chose these colours to reflect the energy and optimism that Jennifer brings to each and every client. Then I had a lot of fun implementing the pattern across all of her materials including her letterhead and business cards. Then it was over to a good friend and talented web designer, Avery Swartz, to implement this on the web (and it's responsive too!):
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| Screenshot of New Initiatives Marketing's homepage |
Present Transportation
Sign Painters Book
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| Stephen Powers, New York |
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| Josh Luke, Boston |
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| Phil Vandermart, Minneapolis |
Information is Beautiful Awards
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| Michele Mauri's winning data visualization in the Infographic/Infodesign category: this infographic visualizes the most-covered songs, by artist and year, from 1958 - 2010. (Hint: green is The Beatles). |
Found this today: The Information is Beautiful Awards, "the world's first open contest to celebrate excellence and beauty in data visualizations, infographics and information art." The winners have just been announced, and you can see them and a larger version of Mauri's winning entry here.
Some of my favourite designs on the site actually came from their regular Challenges - the judges propose a topic and provide the dataset - and award the prize to the person/team who visualizes it the best. And they're often fun: this past summer they held one called "Diagrams are Forever" and the challenge was to visualize the entire 50 years of James Bond (women, gadgets, martinis...you get the picture?).
The judges for these most recent awards included Maria Popova (whose carefully curated blogs BrainPickings.org, Exp.lore.com I really enjoy), MoMA Senior Curator Paola Antonelli, David McCandless (one of my all-time favourite infographic wizards, author of Information is Beautiful) and, oh, Brian Eno.
Illustrations for Thousand Islands Playhouse
Since, in my working life, I started out as a stage manager for live theatre, I have always paid attention to the ways in which theatres market their shows. Whether they're packaged as part of a season or individually, shows need images to entice and sell. And especially in this climate of budget cuts, fewer government grants, and, I think, the general noise of everyday life, it can be extremely challenging to get noticed. But in order to get those bums in seats, theatre companies (and the completely unsung arts marketers out there) need to find that "magic bullet" image - you know, the one that completely evokes the tone of the show in a thrilling, exciting, and captivating way - and find it on a tiny budget.
In this climate, then, I think most theatres choose photography over illustration. Some marketers are convinced that audiences want to see photographs of human beings, and pictures of actual cast members - especially if they're known, or "big name" actors - are ideal. I think of theatres like the Stratford Festival, or Tarragon Theatre, when I think of this approach. The Shaw Festival did that for many years as well, but for this season they've got whimsical, retro, photo-collage illustrations. Of course, I've always had Soulpepper Theatre Company on my dreamlist of Companies To Work For. I have admired the multi-award-winning work from Sandwich Creative for years and years.
I suppose it all comes down to the audience and how well each company thinks they know them. Of course, most Canadian theatres have seen a steep decline in subscription-based ticket buying over the past decade, so perhaps the face of your average theatre-goer is changing. Theatres are still trying to find that "magic bullet" that makes sure each and every night is sold out.
I have always loved illustrated theatre posters much more than ones that use photography. I appreciate the leap of logic that captures a story, or the combination of two disparate images that sets the tone. I respond to imaginative, fantastical, stylized drawings that are, ultimately, human. And that, to me, is theatre.
Anyway, this whole blog post was inspired by some work that I can now share with you. I was hired recently to do the graphic design and illustration for the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, Ontario, and today was their season launch. Working with their inexhaustible new Artistic Director, Ashlie Corcoran, and supremely talented web designer Kelly Wong, I am so proud to show this stuff off. I'm excited to see what 2013 brings for that amazing company!
Here are some highlights of the 2013 season images:
You can see the whole 2013 season here. Visit the Thousand Islands Playhouse website too!
In this climate, then, I think most theatres choose photography over illustration. Some marketers are convinced that audiences want to see photographs of human beings, and pictures of actual cast members - especially if they're known, or "big name" actors - are ideal. I think of theatres like the Stratford Festival, or Tarragon Theatre, when I think of this approach. The Shaw Festival did that for many years as well, but for this season they've got whimsical, retro, photo-collage illustrations. Of course, I've always had Soulpepper Theatre Company on my dreamlist of Companies To Work For. I have admired the multi-award-winning work from Sandwich Creative for years and years.
I suppose it all comes down to the audience and how well each company thinks they know them. Of course, most Canadian theatres have seen a steep decline in subscription-based ticket buying over the past decade, so perhaps the face of your average theatre-goer is changing. Theatres are still trying to find that "magic bullet" that makes sure each and every night is sold out.
I have always loved illustrated theatre posters much more than ones that use photography. I appreciate the leap of logic that captures a story, or the combination of two disparate images that sets the tone. I respond to imaginative, fantastical, stylized drawings that are, ultimately, human. And that, to me, is theatre.
Anyway, this whole blog post was inspired by some work that I can now share with you. I was hired recently to do the graphic design and illustration for the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, Ontario, and today was their season launch. Working with their inexhaustible new Artistic Director, Ashlie Corcoran, and supremely talented web designer Kelly Wong, I am so proud to show this stuff off. I'm excited to see what 2013 brings for that amazing company!
Here are some highlights of the 2013 season images:
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| Image for Boeing Boeing |
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| Image for No Great Mischief |
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| Image for The (Post) Mistress |
You can see the whole 2013 season here. Visit the Thousand Islands Playhouse website too!
What does your keychain say about you - Version 2
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| Prepared? |
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| Superstitious? |
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| Old-fashioned? |
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| Practical? |
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| Disloyal? |
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| I don't think it's going to work out? |
Thanks to a few friends for input & suggestions...you know who you are. Hey, if you have an interesting keychain, maybe you should send me a photo of it!
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