Latest Happenings

"Say Something Nice"

2011-12-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

Cool concept, I kind of like. A lot.
Check out Bulkka for more on this and other cool stuff.

teamwork

2011-12-25T12:48:00.000-08:00

In need of an awesome bag made from awesome recycled materials? Check out the guys at teamwork bags in Grand Rapids, Michigan for many of your awesome bag needs.

There is [maybe] only one of these bag models left, made from recycled sail boat sails, and then a great new line of travel bags made from recycled army materials. I currently have a smaller model of the one shown above, and it works great; I really wanted the bigger one! Great biking/active bags. Go check them out!

Shape & Color Pattern

2011-12-01T14:53:00.001-08:00

See more from this series on dribbble

Recent Title Graphics Work/Collaborations

2011-11-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

Since I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, I have been asked to design and produce the title/credits animation for Sara Estrada's music videos, "Buy U a Drank" cover and "Flannel Sheets", as well as for Jonathan Chapman's video project, "The Lot".

I am pretty stoked to be working along side my old art school colleague and friend, Eric Schleicher, for both of these video projects, and there are more to come - stay tooned!

Give a Smile - Get a Smile

2011-09-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

So, I really like this website/concept/whatever it is, and I have decided to try my best to send at least one smile a day to it. Why? Not sure, but I enjoy sending the love to others.

Today, Seth and I at work [above], smiling at a shirtless fellow. We look so into it. Here are some others that I have obtained [below]....

Start sending your own lovely buck-toothed smiles here: 2uv.us

Circle of Life & Work Hard

2011-09-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

Print Animation

2011-08-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

I just think this is really cool and a neat idea/execution! I have been really digging print animation methods lately, and just happened upon this one.

Enjoy!

I Have Relocated

2011-06-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

I moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota last week and started a new job with Azul 7 this week!

It is still a little odd... I almost feel like I am on vacation or am a temporary transplant here, but it is actually happening to me and is actually pretty darn real. Actually, I feel like I never left this city from my previous visits over the past few months... It is funny how time sort of meshes together like that.

Hope all is well with everyone else, cheers to that!

Thank You - Two-color Silk-screen Prints

2011-06-17T23:13:00.000-07:00

Printed at another AIGA West Michigan screen printing workshop with Teamwork Bags, these two-color prints were designed and with my friends in mind. Many of the subjects included are direct input from friends who chose to have a say in this piece — this goes out to you. Many thanks to Christine, Lauren, Will, Chris, Claire, Joe, Josh, Terry, TJ, Adam, Derek, and Christy — all contributed some interesting ideas, as seen below:

[Post] NoshNight & Inked Art

2011-05-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

A week ago I joined in on the AIGA West Michigan NoshNight festivities and picked up this white/yellow canvas-covered skateboard. It took some brainstorming (what to do, how to do it) but in the end, masking tape and some black fabric spray paint did the trick.

I only wish that some lady had not come over and yelled at me for trying to take the second skateboard (it was a two-part series).. but she did, and I respected her choice to be nasty and put the white/pink one back down for someone else to take home. Everyone was pretty confused that I could only take one, but leaving one behind probably made another person happy. I will take my good karma points for it at any time! [wink - nudge]

Photo of NoshNight: Designer Leslie Parks and myself chatting about the image she wanted to take home, (the two skateboards are behind me). Image taken by Kate Hunt - Thanks Kate!

Park Theatre Latest

2011-05-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

If a drunken microphone face down in a pint glass of $1.00 PBR is not enough to convince people to show up... then I have lost all faith in the music and drinking communities. Drink on!

Hair Art!

2011-05-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I broke down and took a trip to the craft store, purchased a feather and flower bouquet, tore it all apart and glued it all back together in a new assortment and hot-glued it all to a hair clip. I think it is not bad for my first go at this type of craft! More to come. It felt so refreshing to create something non-digital -- do not get me wrong, I love what I do as a graphic designer, but sometimes other arts 'n crafts are necessary; helps keep the creative flowing!

And, by all means -- if you are interested in obtaining one from me, feel free to shoot me a line! I enjoy making/sending new creations to people!

Alive For A Reason

2011-05-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

I would like to share a link with everyone for the recently developed organization and website, "Alive For A Reason". As of this moment, you can purchase a simple little poster for the price of $5.00 -- my understanding is that shirts are on the way soon?

The founder and creator of the organization is a graduating design student at MCAD in Minneapolis, MN and an acquaintance of mine. Alive For A Reason is a great organization idea which I believe provokes thought in individuals about finding purpose in one's life; focusing on the positive aspects rather than the negative. I think it is safe to say we have all had those down and out moments, maybe our hair will not sit the right way, or we did not get the job we tried so hard for, or.... you have your reasons.

Regardless of the things that bring us down on any particular day, it is important to realize that there are reasons to live. I am not necessarily one to skip around in the streets throwing flowers and candy to people, but lately I have realized how much negativity there is in the world around me and I would like to make it my goal to rise above negative attitudes around me while searching for a greater meaning and reason to have a full life. A full life is a happy enjoyable life. Go create for the good of man kind.

www.aliveforareason.org

Poster and Alive For A Reason created by Ben Rummel

Three Top Picks

2011-04-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

In the fall, I enjoyed taking a 300 level Digital Cinema course which consisted of working with various animation techniques, mostly with the use of Adobe After Effects. I feel much more comfortable with this program as a result!

During the spring semesters, the Art & Design Department at Northern Michigan University dedicates a few hours of one evening to show off the best video/animation projects from students in current and previous semester video/animation courses. Among the many top cinema and animation works shown in this year's screening were three of my five animation projects from my course last semester. Work shown is chosen by the cinema and animation professors based on their student's work. I was not in town to attend the screening, since I moved away and am employed, but word made its way to me after the fact. I think it is a great thing they put on though, it is sort of interesting to see what other students are creating in the other classes, since we normally may not have a chance to view their work otherwise.

Flying Pete

Instamatic Spin

Spacial Distortion

I think I am okay with having missed out on this screening.. I find it fairly uncomfortable to sit in a large room with other people and watch myself on the screen doing awkward things (Spacial Distortion)... This happened to me a few years ago when my video Changes was shown, and it was close to two minutes of watching myself awkwardly on a big screen. I would have liked to have seen/heard reactions to Flying Pete.. I hope people smiled/laughed for this one!

All three videos can be watched via my website.

Radiolab Presents Symmetry

2011-04-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

If I find something I really enjoy, I like to share it! This was probably fun to brainstorm!

Rick Wins

2011-04-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

So, I realize this was announced two months ago.... but, nevertheless -- shout out goes to one of my internship mentors from Fairly Painless Advertising, Rick VanderLeek, for creating the winning "Food Day" logo! :) Rick is an awesomely involved person who designs awesomely great graphics/layouts/concepts/yadda yadda....

Besides, who doesn't love roosters perching on their letters? Go Rick! Go Food Day! Go go go!

fearlessrevolution.com/blog/food-day-the-winning-logo.html

Screen Printing With AIGA

2011-04-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Screen printed at Teamwork in Grand Rapids this weekend with the AIGA group. I enjoyed getting back into the skilled trade again! I learned a few different ways of going about it, which was good, but I was mostly just happy to get back into it again and print a new design.

If you are interested in obtaining a print, let me know, I have quite a few of each!

AIGA One Day Mailer

2011-04-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

I received this mailer in the mail this past week, pretty neat actually. It is printed on newspaper and is basically a series of event posters printed on each page - Event is April 13th, 2011.

Snacking on Inspiration

2011-04-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

Safe Kissing/Sweet Thing

2011-03-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

See this new short series on CMYK & Beyond.

Also, regarding CMYK & Beyond.. Super excited to welcome three new designers to the community mix; Noah, Jacob, and Joe - with more designers and art on the way! Way cool. Only one thing left to do... get involved! Check it out, send us a line, take part. Pretty simple.

Cheers!

Work On Display

2011-03-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

Pictured: (Adam Papin - Left, and NMU President Les Wong - Right) & My book - Top Left!

To be honest, I am not 100% sure what is going on in this photo, other than I know Adam from my college days; the other man runs the show at Northern Michigan University, and this is a picture of the student art display at his home.

Every year NMU's School of Art and Design has the "President's Show", and artwork is submitted to it and goes on display. Last sprint the Head of the Art Department presented my book to Wong during one of these shows, which is pretty cool!

Unfortunately, I was not made aware of this gift until the following day when professors and students started congratulating me in the hallways -- If you can picture a "deer in the headlights" with lots of cartoon question marks popping out of its head, then you have a fairly representational image of how I looked/responded. As cool of a thing this is to have happen, not being present to witness the event was fairly crushing and angering to me, I should have gone regardless, but I knew very little about the event at the time, and I likely had a project due soon that needed to be worked on. Who knew my work was a big deal that night, not me. The image above is the first and only time I will ever see the work on Wong's display, but I am happy to have it, even if it is Adam next to it a year later, and not me -- very cool still!

It is like life in many ways. You cannot always get what you want, but take pride in knowing you worked hard for it anyways. Greatness happens when you least expect it to, so get involved and be less likely to miss out on the cool stuff.

50/50 Vertical Challenge Materials

2011-02-23T09:14:00.000-08:00

Now, I did not design his website for this, just the blue poster for the cause and blue header image for the website to further promote the cause. Good luck to Ross Herr!

Heart Day

2011-02-14T16:41:00.000-08:00

New Beginnings?

2011-02-13T23:18:00.000-08:00

Today while updating the Park Theatre's Wordpress website, I was thinking about how I have been afraid to really do anything to it besides create new posts, and how I really know nothing about how it works and the template (someone else set the website up for us).

I remembered that about a year ago I had created a Wordpress blog for myself, but I never really used it - perfect account for trial and error? Yep! The result is a complete revamp - new name, new look, new purpose. I think it would be really neat to get a few other artists involved with this blog, I even set up an email and a twitter for it so that we could post updates! This whole idea/concept is something that I have been sort of thinking about getting together for the past few months, this seemed like the perfect time to get it started. Let's make a creative community!

cmykandbeyond.wordpress.com
twitter.com/CMYKandBeyond
cmyk.beyond@gmail.com

If you happen to be interested in the idea and would like to be a contributor, let me know! See site for more details - Also, if this becomes a real and legit thing and gains any interest at all (like, even one interested artist), I will throw down for an actual domain name.. I just do not need another blog that is dedicated to myself.. I have that already (you're looking at it).

You can either email the address above, or me directly: laurafoster.design@gmail.com

cheers!

You Really Need Them Both

2011-02-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

Cheese would go nicely with a Triscuit.