Turkey and ponies and sunshine oh my...

It was a fabulous Thanksgiving mostly due to Lori taking charge, she sure is an amazing cook, she did sweet potatoes, the veggies, pumpkin pie and dressed the turkey, even making gravy with gluten free flour.
The only thing she didn't dish up was some sunshine. In short supply these days, especially in our neck of the woods, we bolted outside this afternoon at the first sign of it in days. Once we lost it here we fired up the car and headed over to this pasture on the other side of 199 and backed into a spot in front of two beautiful ponies and sat on the tailgate makin' friends with two pretty boys for another half hour as the sun dropped and the shadows grew longer on the field.
A dose of vitamin D can go a long way on a gray day.

The Applegate River

After a morning shift at the hospital yesterday, I spent a few hours raking and blowing leaves while Dave worked up on the roof clearing the gutters, it was so warm and sunny and beautiful for a change. Its been days since I have been off the computer and outside for more than a half hour, what a wonderful change of pace and workout for the body and soul. I love this time of the year.
I've been working on a landing page for Skodes Horse Treats, setting up the type design, integrating it with her new artwork and emailing the files off to a new html gal I am just starting to work with.
Posting this breathtaking picture of the Applegate River that Dave took the other day on the way up Joans' driveway.

The Rainbowbama

Todays photo op represents the kind of day and attitude I felt infused with. A new business plan, a new president, and five minutes of sunshine all contributed.
I worked on 3 design projects until late in the afternoon when Dave and I headed to Wilderville to mail off some packages. Already in the neck of the woods I dropped by Joans to leave some greens for her guinea pigs, pet few barnyard animals and pick up some fresh eggs.
On the way home as we passed the Old Mint Farm, and in the five minute pocket of sun, there it was, a brilliant rainbow dropping into an Obama sign on their gate. Clearly a divine sign that there are better days ahead, and the heavens are smiling.

Knowing When to Say When...

The title of today's' posting is a catchy advertising slogan that has, for many years been about what it was traditionally created for and about-drinking.
For me, knowing when to say when, has never been about alcohol. My formative years in design and the creative process were fine tuned at Landor Associates where as a freelancer -and working on a job, possibilities and explorations for logo art were a never ending creative free for all. Churning out one idea after another and continuing until, not unlike those tests in grade school, someone finally said 'OK, time to put your pencils down'.
Today's' question...when to say when, when it comes to concepts - or with clients who are never satisfied.
I realize that there are situations in the advertising and design world where this would be a virtue- not a liability, but for me in the present, I find myself at times, on a limited budget and overworking the time I should be putting into a job. I've discussed this with a few other designers and they say, 'well I just limit my designs to three ideas and that's it'.
When a client is still not happy after three to five options, I'm only too happy to keep on working on designs, bending over backwards with passion and perseverance. My people pleasing genes kick in and I'm a runaway train, often giving them so many possibilities, making a choice then becomes a challenge.
This was driven home most recently by a client and an assignment I was working on and really enjoying ...and thought I had come up with some elegant and nicely designed solutions. Please click here for my designs.
Then the email came in, one of her vendors had created something for free that she was going to use instead. Please click here for her choice.
Simultaneously I have been working with another client, reworking some design elements of her website, a banner with photographs, creating some simple buttons, and next an opening screen for her site. She is just a delight and a joy to work with, couldn't be happier, or easier to please.
It motivates me to continue to do the best I can, which I believe is what it all comes down to in the long run.

Stormy Sunday

Today we went for a short drive and a long walk on eight dollar mountain on our way to Kerby. There is a fantastically engineered handicap accessible walkway out to a field of cobra lilies, a species of plant native only to this area and the Kalmiopsis wilderness. It was a grey day and stormy skies threatened to cut short the adventure.
The destination was the workshop of an amazing craftsman, Jerry Work, to take a look at a used iMac for sale. Jerry appears to me to be one of those left brain right brain individuals that can create stunning fine furniture, and in a former professional life was a software engineer. There is little he doesn't know technically and there is little he can't do artfully with wood. I met him about a year ago while taking a studio photography class he was teaching at The Southern Oregon Guild.
It was a nice break to get out for a drive, and it looks like I will be buying a new (used) Mac to boot.
For more about Jerry and his studio/ work click here.

Remembering Halloween

This was one of the best Halloweens I can remember, on the left, carved pumpkins glowing artfully in the dark.
Friday I found myself downtown in the late afternoon without my camera, wishing I had not forgotten to pack it in my purse as I usually do.
A break in the rain brought many families out to cruise the streets of Grants Pass, and there were so many adorable costumed kids on parade.