Back Lot

Be Free

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:15:00 +0000

As a general rule, you will work five days a week, eight hours a day. Find it here.

Quiet Horizon

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Morning. Twenty-two miles off the coast of California. Find it here.

Back Lot Projects On Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:38:00 +0000

Where has it been? Back Lot Projects is undergoing a facelift through the holidays.

While some changes will be cosmetic, we're also shifting from CafePress to another provider. While CafePress was once a fine on demand printing service, especially with print products, its listening skills have diminished. So it seems like the right time to consider alternatives.

Happy Holidays. :)

Santa Catalina

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 23:31:00 +0000

Twenty-two miles off the coast of California, Catalina Island remains a favorite getaway. This shot, overlooking the harbor, includes the the Casino, which was the tallest building in Los Angeles County in 1929. Today, it is home to the Avalon Theater on the first floor.

In 1975, Philip Wrigley deeded the island to the Catalina Island Conservancy. The island was named Santa Catalina to honor the feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria. For a larger view, visit The Back Lot.

Patient Guardians

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:00:00 +0000

Gargoyles were originally developed by medieval architects and stone carvers to ward off evil. Today, they adorn cathedrals and buildings all over the the world; some dating as far back as 600 A.D. This one is perched on a high window inside Copywrite, Ink.

For a larger view of this print, visit the Back Lot.

Thriving Torch

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:48:00 +0000

Regardless of the variation, the torch cactus remains a local favorite among photographers in Nevada. This photo was taken at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The Springs Preserve is a 180-acre tract of land located only three miles west of downtown Las Vegas. The Springs Preserve is evolving into a world-class attraction that highlights the natural origins of southern Nevada.

For a larger view of the print, visit here.

Platero Espana

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:42:00 +0000

Platero might mean little donkey as Juan Ramón Jiménez's main character of Platero y yo (Spanish for Platero and me). But it was also used for a bold design for a Crate Label years ago. The little donkey may remain a symbol of tenderness, purity, and naivety, and was also the name of bull raised by don Matías Rodríguez in Mexico City (1935). There is a paradox there, somewhere.

You can also find story of Platero and me here and the design appears on several designs in our Hun Productions store section.

In Flight

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:58:00 +0000

This postcard almost creates a vintage feel by allowing the propeller to become the subject of the shot. It was taken over the Long Island Sound, well above a sizable storm. For a larger view, visit The Back Lot.

No Kisses For You

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:40:00 +0000

With Saint Patrick's Day around the corner, there are plenty of Irish buttons, shirts, and shamrocks everywhere you look. Rather than add to the endless sea of "Kiss Me. I'm Irish." items , Hun Productions offers the alternative...

Accompanying vintage art that originated on a beer labels in Ireland, Hun Productions suggests sometimes you "Piss Off" is more suitable than "Kiss Me." While the image above is set on sticker, there are a number of T-shirts too, sporting "I'm Irish" on the front and "Piss Off" on the back.

Star Struck

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:24:00 +0000

In the 1970s, Frank Perry reminded Hollywood that an independent film maker could produce a low budget American hit. His movie "David and Lisa" was produced for well under $1 million. With more digital media being made accessible on the Internet, its possible history will repeat and small budget films will have yet another venue for success.

This photo is a shot of a vintage studio trailer set on a back lot recreated in Disneyland. The print is part of a eclectic photography collection in The Back Lot.

Breaking Waves

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:14:00 +0000

Called the "The Jewel" in Spanish, La Jolla is located 15 minutes north of San Diego. Best known for rocky beaches and cultural activities, the town was originally settled in 1928 when Cornelio Rodriguez, an accomplished potter, discovered a rich clay deposit on his way to Los Angeles.

La Jolla is now considered one of the most affluent communities in the United States and is home to Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Stephen Birch Aquarium & Museum. This picture was taken along Calif. coastline in La Jolla.

Disappearing Giants

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:18:00 +0000

When the Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Today, while it is only the eight longest suspension bridge in the world, it remains an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco.

This shot was capture as fog rolled in over the bay, where the bridge connects the city of San Francisco on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County. Only one truss arch remains visible. For a better view, visit The Back Lot.

Black Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:00:00 +0000

A barely visible haiku adorns the black heart postcard.

The pain you’re feeling,
like a heart turning to stone.
I feel that hurt too.

Displaced Turbine

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:32:00 +0000

This 34-ton cast steel turbine, which measures 14.2 feet in diameter, once powered the N-7 generator at Hoover Dam from 1944-82. The runner is now on display in Boulder City, Nev.

While Hoover Dam looks different after years of drought impacting Lake Mead, heightened security, and the construction associated with the bypass bridge project, Hoover Dam remains a major engineering feat as a concrete arch-gravity dam. For a larger view of this photo, visit here.

Eternal Symbols

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:38:00 +0000

Although many of the meanings attributed to celtic knots are modern, the continual looping has always suggested eternity and interconnectedness. In this case, the image embellishes a popular design of four interwoven hearts to shape the knot. You can find an interesting article on the Celts here, which includes their connection to Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Other variations of this design can be found in the vintage store section Hun Productions. Some designs are partnered with the word "Forever," lending a vintage take on Valentine's Day.

Flying Horses

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 17:45:00 +0000

While Danish furniture maker Charles I.D. Looff is best known for carving the famous carousel at New York's Coney Island, his work can also be found in Rhode Island's restored Crescent Park Carousel. Originally built 1895, the carousel still dares riders to reach out and grab the brass ring.

I still have one. And from what I've learned about the carousel, it's miraculous that I do. The carousel was closed in 1967 and put for sale in 1971. If it wasn't for the community, it's very likely it would have never reopened in 1979.

Today, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rides are only a quarter. Visit the Back Lot for a larger view, visit The Back Lot. For a list of carousels around the country, visit the National Carousel Association.

Days Of Service

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 03:17:00 +0000

"Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve." — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As part of our commitment to the Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada, we would like remind everyone that on Jan. 21, millions will honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by conducting food drives, painting schools and community centers, recruiting mentors for needy youth, and bringing meals to homebound neighbors, to name but a few.

You can help too. Just visit the MLK Day Of Service site and click on the link to find affiliated organizations. If you are not familiar with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he sought to forge the common ground on which people from all walks of life could join together to address important community issues. His message is international.

You can find the above image on buttons, postcards, and shirts in the Volunteer Center section of our store.

Forgotten Romance

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:00:00 +0000

The Oatman Hotel is the oldest two-story adobe structure in Mojave County, along old old U.S. Route 66. Built in 1902, 13 years before two minors struck gold, the hotel remains a classic example of living history.

The rooms can still be rented for those who don't mind rustic living. The sinks are no longer connected and the walls paper thin. Still, there is something charming about staying at the same hotel where Clark Gable and Carol Lombard honeymooned in on March 18, 1939. Gable often return to the hotel to play poker, though nowadays, you're more likely to find Karaoke.

For a larger view of this photo, taken inside one of the hotel rooms, visit The Back Lot.

Striking Matches

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 22:20:00 +0000

One of Rich's favorite holiday stories is The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson. He used the story as inspiration for a poem to accompany his company's holiday cards this year. The poem reads...

Striking Matches by Richard Becker

Barefoot in the snow with blue and frozen toes,

A match girl strikes a fire to ward away the cold.

And in the sputter of the flame she seems to see

A stove to warm her hands; the comfort of a tree;

A roast to heal her hunger; and arms of empathy.

You can see the postcard version here or visit the Copywrite, Ink. blog. Happy Holidays from everyone at Copywrite, Ink.

Shipping Volunteers

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 18:00:00 +0000

The Volunteer Center of Southern Nevada provides resources to groups and individuals to help them deliver creative solutions to community problems through volunteerism. It's also one of the benefactors of Backlot Projects.

One of the earliest concept designs for the Volunteer Center included the "Ready To Ship" volunteer shirts. Each shirt includes vintage shipping labels: This Side Up, Rush, and Fragile. To see this shirt, visit the Volunteer Center here.

Left For Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 18:00:00 +0000

Death Valley is the lowest elevation, about 282 feet below sea level. It's one of the most beautiful and foreboding places in the United States, with temperatures that are among the hottest on earth. It holds the The hottest temperature ever recorded in the United States at 134 degrees (56.7 C) and typically exceeded 122 degrees in the summer.

This picture was taken during one of several trips through Death Valley. To see a larger version of the postcard, visit here.

Rolling Mist

noreply@blogger.com (Staff) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:50:00 +0000

The Dixie National Forest occupies almost two million acres and stretches for about 170 miles across southern Utah. The largest National Forest in Utah, it straddles the divide between the Great Basin and the Colorado River.

The forested areas in Utah provide a striking contrast to the expansive desert that dominates most of the state. This picture was taken during one of several trips to Zion and Bryce National Parks. To see a larger version of the print, visit The Back Lot.

Shed No Tears

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:55:00 +0000

As part of the Bloggers Unite "Let's Stop Abuse" campaign, this is the third design inspired by the winner of the Blog For Hope Post Competition.

This design, which touches on child abuse cuts to the truth. We can all shed tears over child abuse, but it takes someone special to do something about it. This concept came from Keep It Simple Solutions, a post from one women who is doing something about it.

A better view of the image, designed by a child, can be found in Bloggers Unite section of Back Lot Projects. Proceeds will benefit The Ark Of Hope For Children as requested by Verna Corbett, the winning blogger.

For more information about Verna Corbett's post, visit the winner's profile story today on the Copywrite, Ink. blog.

Words Hurt

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 21:50:00 +0000

As part of the Bloggers Unite "Let's Stop Abuse" campaign, this is the second design inspired by the winner of the Blog For Hope Post Competition.

This design, which touches on verbal abuse, plays off of the old childhood rhyme that "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." While meant to teach children not to be overly affected by words, they do hurt, sometimes just as much. This concept came out of the JerichoMonster post Blogging Against Abuse: Verbal Abuse.

A better view of the image, designed by a child, can be found in Bloggers Unite section of Back Lot Projects. Proceeds will benefit Family Violence Protection Fund as requested by Barbara Sweat, the winning blogger.

For more information about her and her friend's post, visit the winner's profile story today on the Copywrite, Ink. blog.

Art Heals

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:52:00 +0000

As part of the Bloggers Unite "Let's Stop Abuse" campaign, we're featuring three designs inspired by the winners of the Blog For Hope Post Competition over the next three weeks.

This design was inspired by the o my word post about Robert Miley’s Release The Fear program for abused and at-risk children. A better view of the image, designed by a child, can be found in Bloggers Unite section of Back Lot Projects. Proceeds will benefit Release The Fear as requested by Lisa Wines, the winning blogger.

For more information about her post, visit the winner's profile story today on the Copywrite, Ink. blog.