fresh beginning.

so the other day i resigned. it wasn't a very big decision for me, because it's been a long time coming. i just needed to figure out my other options. so i applied for a design internship with associated magazines. for now its only an application, but im really hoping it will turn into something worth while. so iv been working super hard on a new porti (well old work revamped). made myself a cute little logo (see bellow) and going to get some business cards printed this week sometime (hopefully) im thinking 2012 is gonna be way better than 2011. im thinking its gonna kick 2011's ass! and if not, at least i started the year with some enthusiasm and gusto, right? i want to start 2012 with a slightly more professional design repertoire. have something to build on. explore my creativity and have some fun. i think i may have just given myself a new years resolution. hmmm.

M.I.A.

lately i will admit my creative side has been slacking. over the past month or so the most iv done is update my CV and add a measly doodle to my sketchbook. i know, shameful.
but im hoping my creative side will get a lil kick into action next week, when i spend the week working at Kamers vol Geskenke. this beautiful little creative market is held at the stunning Lourensford estate in the winelands of Somerset West. running from the 23rd to the 29th it promises to exhibit only the best local creative talent, from crafty home made goodies, to delitious treats, it is a week i am definately looking forward to :)
for more info on Kamers vol, visit http://www.kamersvol.com/

"how you like them apples"

In rememberance.

"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. ...And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."


-Steve Jobs

grrrrr

so this is a little sneak peak into my sketchbook for the 2012 world tour of the Sketchbook Project. Its getting there, slowly but surely in true "Rachel" fashion (procrastination happens to be one of my many talents, but i promise i have more than just this dps!).
Im thinking of adding some colour to this one. but i dunno, the black and white fineliner illustrations have always been my favorite. the comic book, cartoon, quirky style. i like the simplicity of it, no bright colours needed to make it interesting or eye catching. just simple pen to paper. good quality paper. even better!
This illustration is inspired by the imagination of a child. how children pick up on visuals around them and create new characters and environments based on the reality they see. These creatures have elements of childrens toys, an element that plays a pretty big role in a child's daily life. The buttons, the top hat, the stitched detail, all add quite a sweet element to the illustration. also fine detail is my favorite :)

In the name of rugby

So this whole world cup thing is a pretty big deal right? (cue the crazy rugby fanatics roar)
But to be honest im not the hugest rugby fan. and yes of course i would always shout for my country, i still think there are more important things in life. i.e. pretty design :)
So i found (actually, a friend found) the perfect thing for someone like me to get a bit more into the whole patriotic rugby thing. Beautifully designed Springbok attire.
http://www.deathbok.com/
Such an awesome idea. and so beautifully illustrated!
would never have guessed that i would be this keen to purchase a t-shirt made for sport.
But what can i say, im a sucker for a pretty 'bok'.

"progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow"

i need to get off my ass and start creating beautiful works like this.
but seriously.
i feel like getting caught up in something that stimulates me creatively. i have found myself getting really bored with the mundane ritulas of the working world. but at the same time getting so used to it that im not doing anything to mix it up.
in by 8, home by 5, dinner, tv, bed. every. single. day. blah!
i feel like a hampster in a wheel. constantly doing the same cycle. and just doing it because thats what im supposed to do, not because i want to. all i want is an adventure. but because i cant simply run away right now, i have to find an adventure here, within the life iv got. get off that spinning wheel and do something different.
a new creative project is just around the corner. all i gotta do is make it happen.
but for right now, il marvel at these lovely designs...

(would love to know the designer who did this. but once again, it was just in my archive of inspiring imagery. so to this anonymous designer, you rock. just by the way.)



why hellooooo Kitty!

so iv never been a fan of the felines, but this one... well this one is an exception.
Hello Kitty.

been a fan since the early 90's. yip i had a childhood filled with this cute little kitty cat and her bunny-doogy-bear looking friends. i was into the whole gang (that couldve been worded better).
but seriously. i had the towl, the jewellery, the PJs! in my day, Hello Kitty was the shiz. in fact, she still is! except now that im 22 years old i tend not to admit that to people too much.
i would have to say that this feline phenominon has to be the biggest and most recognised (and loved!) illustrated image out there. so yes, im saying she beats Micky Mouse.
the Hello Kitty industry started in 1974 when she was first designed by Yuko Shimizu as a fictional character for a Japanese company that produced and sold gifts. she was first seen on a vinyl coin purse and as soon as her cute little face hit the public, she became way more than simply just a logo. she got more expressive, with different outfits and even a personality! she was described as kind hearted and bright, loves to collect pretty things and probably the best part about her is that her weight and height was measured in apples! once she was released in the States in 1976 the Hello Kitty franchise only got bigger and bigger. now shes seen on everything from stationery to cell phones to sneakers to tongue rings! there's a wedding dress out there that was made covered in only little miss Kitty White's face.
tail pipes, toilet seat covers, guns! theres an airbus with her face on it! and the list just goes on and on and onnn.
i must admit as adorable and iconic as Hello Kitty is, i did eventually get rid of all my memorabilia (along with the Spice Girls stuff). but while reading up on this illustrative icon, i came across one particular piece of Hello Kitty merchandise i would actually buy. in fact its now on my wish list.
meet the best toaster in the world...... 

:)

my friend, Fear

fear. its something that has been on my mind a lot lately. i feel like my life is surrounded by it, in almost every aspect.
fear of falling in love.
fear of starting a career.
fear of making the wrong decisions.
fear of aging.
fear of change.
a few days ago a friend sent me this quote by entrepreneur, author and public speaker Seth Godin.

...

"Waiting for the fear to subside. There are two problems with this strategy.

A. By the time the fear subsides, it will be too late. By the time you're not afraid of what you were planning to start/say/do, someone else will have already done it, it will already be irrelevant. The reason you're afraid is that there's leverage here, something might happen. Which is exactly the signal you're looking for.

B. The fear certainly helps you do better. The fear-less one might sleep better, but sleeping well doesn't always lead to your best work. The fear can be your compass, it can set you on the right path and actually improve the quality of what you do.

Listen to your fear but don't obey it."

...

this completely changed my perspective.
what a lovely way to view something as daunting as "fear".
i love the idea that fear is there to drive people as opposed to hinder. that it pushes you only to do better and that fear should be embraced, no matter how uncomfortable the feeling may be. so my life filled of fear may be beneficial to me after all.

"i made you a cookie but i eated it"

the 'Pon and Zi' cartoons by illustrator Jeff Thomas are my absolute favorite. originally these sweet little characters were nothing more than doodles in a note pad. until their illustrator discovered their potential and created a large range of comic style illsutrations.
love the dark humour and of course the adorable characters and their render quality.
and the twisted romance behind it is so very appropriate for me right now.

to have a look at the entire collection, check out : http://www.azuzephre.net/azuzephre.net/The_Pon%26Zi_Collection.html 

look look! my work in real life :)

how exciting.!
these are some pics of the folder i designed for a client a few weeks back. must admit, i like the way it all turned out :) happy. little. designer.



embossed.





foiling.

 

more things "cupcake"

another inspiration.
(and its proudly south african too!)

this lovely little blog i stumbled upon (well actually i saw the link on facebook. thank god for social networking, right) i think this is such a sweet idea. to take old vintage items and add a few extra details such as buttons and ribbons (two of my favorite things in the world, no joke) and tadaaa... pretty new accessories :)
have a looksy, and fall in love like i did...

http://lovecupcakecouture.blogspot.com/

cutie pie*

so my new obsession (well not really new, it has been a long lasting obsession)... cupcakes.

no im not going on a baked foods binge, i am talking accessories, clothing, jewlry, anything decorated in cupcakes. these sweet little delights have caught my eye, from a design point of view.

i would say that cupcakes aren't given they due credit as the style icons they truely are. perfectly crafted little deserts, these mouth watering treats have for many years been the inspiration in various forms of design. look at Marie Antoinette Queen of France for example. her lavish outfits almost mimic the puffy richness of those gorgeous little cupcakes that often surrounded her. its seems that indulgants is just the way to go, so why not satifying your sweet tooth in the cutest of frilly outfits. this lovely lifestyle seems nothing but bliss.

my indulgance however doesnt exactly come in the form of a day in the life of Marie Antoinette. its much simpler. and way cuter. cupcake accessories. little knitted cupcake pin cushions are the cutest way to decorate any room. cupcake neclaces and rings are such a sweet way to style up a laid-back look. bags, beenies, cushions, hoodies... all have found their way onto my wish list... as long as theres a cute, colourful smiling cupcake on it.

and the very best thing about these cupcakes, zero kalories. just the cherry ontop of delicious design :)

i got MAIL! :)

finally. my sketchbook arrived today!
so i entered the Sketchbook Project a few weeks back. its the most amazing traveling exhibition that anyone, aaaanyone can take part in. so fun :) all you gotta do is sign up online, pay $20 on your card and wait to get your blank sketchbook. then at the end of the year send the book back to the organisers and they take the artwork all over the US, Canada, London England and Melbourne Australia. then all the books get exhibited and archived at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in NYC. and its completely open for the public, so when my travels begin i can go visit my little book :)
i absolutely LOVE this idea. i think its so fun and spreads creativity accross the world. makes any old artist feel like a pro :)

so im reeeal excited to get sketching. the theme i chose for my book is *things found under car seats*, so could get interesting.

oh so vectorised!

so i am proud to say i did my very first bit of freelance work (that i actually got paid for. with actual money). the client was a friend of mine, who needed some design help on her project. she is doing her post grad in marketing and for their final project they need to conceptualise an original product, raise funds, manufacture it and eventually sell it in the hopes of making a profit. they needed me to illustrate the cover of a student flip folder that they were producing. the idea behind this file is that it is vital to a student. something that every student would need, everyday. "the information station" as we called it.

as the image was going to be foiled to the product we decided to stick to vector graphics, keeping it simple and modern. using bold lines and out of the box ideas, we actually came up with a few pretty cool designs. although colour rendering is my absolute favorite, this job was a nice variation for the porti.

so overall, happy with the results :)

the above design is the image that was chosen for the cover.

using my words.

so believe it or not, i have always had a little thing for creative writing (although i can't spell or use correct grammer, especially caps!) i love well written verses, wether its just a simple sentence, or a whole page of perfectly placed words. in college my copywriter friends would often get me to read through their work (cause occasionally my opinion matters, pff) and it would always be my pleasure. to be honest a little bit of jealousy would sneak to the surface when their material was good. and it often was - yes i have talented friends :)

so rather than trying to improve my grammer and spelling to become a wanna-be copywriter, i rather turned to typography, the perfect way for an illustrator to get more "verbal".

i began to fall in love with typography. i find it sooo inspiring the way artists create such beautiful imagery out of words. so yes, i sat on google and have over time conjured up a wonderful collection of typography pieces that make me happy. each artist with such a great eye for font and composition, these typography works are what i look to when i create.
so screw spelling. as long as its pretty, thats all that matters to me :)

*im not sure who did any of these designs, as i collected most of these randomly over the years, on google images and flickr. so unfortunately credit cannot be given. but they are amazing nonetheless*