Mmm, charcuterie + design.  Be still my beating heart.

The Official Manufacturing Company is a trio of former big agency guys – Mathew Foster, Fritz Mesenbrink & Jeremy Pelley – that, when combined, perform Voltron-like feats of design.  These guys look like they have a blast at work.  Going well beyond your normal print and web shop, they do album covers, coffee packaging, freakin’ wool blankets…

Check out their full portfolio, go buy a ‘Fuck Haters’ shirt, or send them a postcard.

Mark Warren Jacques, Portland, OR based artist, is old school. And by that I mean he paints what we see in a lot of awesome graphic design these days. He makes it happen on canvas and brings to his audience moments of enlightenment. Abstract geometry is paired with organic texture and beautiful color—I can’t help but feel a sense of harmony when browsing through his work.

Also win—his site introduces him via a beautifully ethereal video. Oh and one more thing: He’s also part of the awesome Free Life Center project, along with Seth Neefus.

Check out the work, then enjoy your week. Read the rest of this entry »

Everything in Portland designer Gavin Potenza’s portfolio is great but this burst of color in his original stamp designs really caught my eye.  

Ignore the fact that Christopher David Ryan has three first names and therefore cannot be trusted and check him out: he’s a graphic artist out of frosty and unforgiving Portland, Maine that runs one-man shop Atmostheory.

His website is host to a single piece of his work, everyday.  Everyday.  That’s a lot of days to have something new to put on a website.

And although Mr. Ryan’s work may not change your life you’ve got to respect it if for no other reason than the sheer quantity and frequency.  Whoa, dude.

It’s kind of like photography: you shoot 500 photos to get one great shot.  Poke around his site and you’ll probably find something you’ll enjoy, if not today, tomorrow.

Ghostbikes are memorials for fallen bicyclists; somber reminders of bicyclists killed or hit.  Back home there are far too many ghost bikes in our cities and it’s unfortunate that most of us are familiar with this cultural phenomenon.  I haven’t seen any since moving to NC so I thought I’d share…

photo credit: jahat

For the most part, cities will leave these bikes forever, out of respect for the passed rider.  It’s gestures like this from folks you don’t expect it from that make it possible to maintain my sanity.  It’s like when every jerk driver on the road that would cut you off and give you the finger in a second pulls to aside let a funeral procession pass.  For me, these are big reaffirming moments that keep me sane.

photo credit: bikeportland.org

You can learn more about ghost bikes at www.ghostbikes.org; and you really should!

photo credit: thismeiks

SIDE NOTE:  This is old news but for anyone who didn’t hear about it at the time, the above bike was part of a 2008 DKNY guerilla marketing campaign in which they were promoting general bike riding, supposedly by placing these orange bikes all over cities nationwide.  A pretty disgusting appropriation of a cultural symbol by a big company.  Whether it was deliberate use of the ghostbike symbol or just a lack of research, it’s offensive.  Either in stupidity or arrogance.  You’re whack, Donna Karen.

So, I’ve already posted about Ryan Berkley and his illustrations of Kenny.  But I was looking at my living room wall last night and my eyes crossed a little portrait of a Great White Shark in a suit that Kristy had given me as a birthday gift this past year.  Makes me laugh everytime.  And I remembered, Ryan Berkley has an extensive series of these portraits.  And they’re awesome.

I mean, a BIG collection of portraits.  Siamese cat, red fox, giraffe, raven, ducks, geese, raccoon,  meerkat, caterpillar and on and on.  Name an animal, and Ryan Berkley probably has them wearing a tie.

If you’re into series’ of anything, like I am, Ryan’s Etsy shop is definitely worth checking out.  I don’t know why this dude doesn’t have a proper website.   Write him an email and tell him to work it out.

That last photo has nothing to do with the series of portraits but you know what?  It’s a chameleon on the run from the cops and an old hobo w/ roses shuffling down the street.  So that’s fine.

Kenny is a superhero. Kenny is a gentleman & a scholar. Kenny is an enigma wrapped in a paradox with a mystery bow on top.

Look at that guy. I challenge anyone to name a superhero, or a villian for that matter, that could enjoy a bath more!

You can learn more about Kenny and his epic story here & you can find some really cheap prints by illustrator Ryan Berkley here.

Kenny is a superhero. Kenny is a gentleman & a scholar. Kenny is an enigma wrapped in a paradox with a mystery bow on top.

Look at that guy. I challenge anyone to name a superhero, or a villian for that matter, that could enjoy a bath more!

You can learn more about Kenny and his epic story here & you can find some really cheap prints by illustrator Ryan Berkley here.