Ed Brandt

Economy of Elements

edbrandt — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:01:06 +0000

The blogosphere became a bit more crowded this weekend by a site named Economy of Elements. I created this particular blog to share thoughts, finds and other interesting stuff on minimalism. Despite the name and how it’s defined there’s a lot to be discovered in minimalism, so if you’re thinking clean lines and empty space you may be surprised.

For quite some time minimalism has been a strong influence in my artwork and I utilize it as often as I can in my work as a designer. The more I process the concept and think about its applications the more I find inspiration, and It’s these things that inspire me that I want to share with others. From minimalist artwork to something abstracted from its original intent, it’s an aesthetic that I’m drawn to. If you’re also drawn to minimalism or are just curious as to what I’m talking about, head over and have a look.

Change is in the Air

edbrandt — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:20:31 +0000

Some of you may have noticed that recently the Square15 website has change. Visitors are greeted with the Message “Change is in the air at Square15” and with a click are directed to this, my personal website. So what’s going on? Here’s the scoop...

As of January first Square15 closed for business. This is not to say that I’m done designing, I’m still taking on new work and clients and even have some projects at my desk this very moment. The reason I made the decision to close shop was to give myself a bit of a break and to try some things I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.

I’ve been doing pretty much the same thing for over 17 years, graphic design. And, all-in-all it’s been a great 17 years. I’ve produced an incredible amount of work, designing for a huge array of clients, large and small, in many areas of business. I’ve met a lot of great people, and have leaned a buttload. I can’t complain, I’ve been very successful and have had some wonderful opportunities. But it’s been a long time and I’m fried. The nonstop pace of running a business for so long has zapped me of most my energy and before it got any worse I had to take a step back.

All the work has meant that things I care about deeply have fallen to the wayside. And, other things that I’ve wanted to experience, I couldn’t. Taking a break from full-time business has given me the chance to rest and pursue other dreams and opportunities. For instance, I felt like my creativity hit a rut, it’s one of the things I cherish the most in my life and I was loosing interest and self confidence. All of my worked seemed to be only half of what it could be, too many compromises. I have a strong personal aesthetic, love so many creative processes, and can create some wonderful things. It just wasn’t happening. With this free time I can now experience the creativity I desire. Whether or not it amounts to anything doesn’t matter, if it takes me the rest of my life, who cares. What matters is that I can now wholeheartedly try.

As for other pursuits? Most people know that I’ve always wanted to teach and I’ve finally been given the opportunity. Starting at the beginning of next month I’ll be teaching a good number of courses for the University of New Mexico’s continuing education program. I can’t wait. They’re Mac classes for students of all types with all levels of experience. I finally get to stretch the tech side of my brain for a while. It’s a good fit for a Mac geek.

So, I went from non-stop designing to writing course outlines and syllabi, with time for some painting and photography. And, like I said, I’m still designing and taking new work, but at a different pace. So, if your reading this and wondering if I’ll take on that project you have, give me a call and let’s talk. I’m even entertaining the thought of tutoring, so if you know someone who’d like some help with Macs, Mac apps, design programs, or even design and creativity in general, let me know. I can even teach remotely over the internet … pretty cool huh?

So, there is a ton of change in my life right now and where it leads, I’ll just have to wait and see. As they say, it’s all up in the air.

One final note. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say, Jill, thanks you for all your amazing support. This decision affected us both but you embraced it with me, for that I’m eternally grateful.

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Freshly Pressed

edbrandt — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:58:30 +0000

I finally went ahead and did it, I shoehorned my site into the WordPress framework. I’d been going ’round for a while now with whether or not to do it. I’d spent so much time learning, catching up and experimenting on (and thoroughly enjoying) the front end that my mind was giving out. I needed a break but couldn’t stop. It kinda felt like a finish line that I had cross.

Now that things are up and running I can fiddle with it. There’s tons to explore and learn. WordPress is a big environment and has been for a while. Lots of users, developers and diehards. Though people think blog when they hear the name it makes a lot of sense to use it as a framework for just about any kind of website. It’s such a great way to manage pages, content, assets, etc. that once you use it, especially for sites larger than mine, it would be hard to go back.

I guess the biggest step for me is learning PHP. It’s another language that’s processed by the browser to display a page. This is where the meat of a WordPress site is (and of course the mySQL database). For me it really kicks things up a few levels but my friends Copy and Paste are there to help. Though once you start reading it you recognize patterns and that’s when things start to stick.

Of course there’s other CMSs out there that work and that people stand by. ExpressionEngine is one that people I know stand by. There’s also Drupal, Joomla to name a few. I went with WordPress for no other reason then “just because”. Like throwing darts at a dartboard. For now I’m satisfied and will keep digging in and, as always, as my knowledge grows so will the site. For now I think I’ll give my mind a short rest and focus on some creative content. But, I guess that would be the focus of this site: art, design, photography and an some good Mac geekiness for good measure. I’m always thinking about these subjects and have my thoughts and ideas...time to share.

Side note: WordPress.com and WordPress.org are two sides of the same coin, sort of. WordPress.com is the place to go if you’d like to get a blog up and running but don’t want to have anything to do with hosting, coding, maintenance and so on. Everything is handled by WordPress, you worry about the content. It’s also a great place to start if you want to get to know the product.

WordPress.org is the same system but for the designers, developers and geeks. You download the files to your server and do all the behind the scenes work. This is a good thing though, you have 100% complete control and the sky’s the limit as to what you can do...or do wrong = )

Rail Yard Show

edbrandt — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:48:53 +0000

I enjoy the social/photo sharing network website Flickr, people from around the globe gather to share every conceivable type of photography at every level of experience. Beyond a common interest in photography, it’s a great way to meet people who share an interest in different types of photography.

For example, I enjoy shooting with vintage Polaroid cameras and wound up striking a conversation with someone who does as well. As it turned out my wife and I were heading to Paris on vacation at the exact same time he and his wife were. We actually meet up for the day and experienced Paris from behind the lens of a camera. It’s a small world.

My next experience, closer to home this time, led to an invitation to show some of my Polaroids at an art exhibit this fall. We have an old historical train yard here in town once owned by the The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad now zoned for redevelopment by the city. It’s a popular place with photographers and I’ve been there a few times myself. Well, my photos caught the eye of a fellow Flickr user who just so happened to be putting together a show of Rail Yard photography. Looking for local photographers he saw my work and invited me to be in the show. Below are the detail for the exhibit. If you’re interest in photography, trains or out cities history you should drop on by.

The Rail Yard Exhibit: September 15–November 14, 2011
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 15, 6:00PM–8:00PM
Kimo Art Gallery, 423 Central Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM
cabq.gov/kimo/art-gallery
abqrailyards.blogspot.com

It’s Addictive

edbrandt — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:42:55 +0000

I know, you’ve heard me say this time and again, but yes, I have a new site. And, as I’ve said before, there’s more to these sites than what you see in your browser window; this time around is no exception. As a designer and artist I’ve always appreciated the visual and interactive aspect of web deign but to truly understand what makes a website good you must also know what holds a website together.

Over the past year I’ve devoted a large chunk of my time to learning web design, development and the ever growing industry that surrounds it. These days it’s no longer about the sites you visit on your computer, rather the sites you visit on your computer, laptop, phone, tablet and more. I’m not saying I’ve conquered these skills, I haven’t come close, but now I feel I have the tools I need to move forward with confidence. And, like lots of creative out there I use this site as a sort of proving ground for what I’ve learned and what I’m working on next. What can I say, its addictive.

Also, I’d like to thank Emily Lewis for helping me develop my skills. She’s generously shared her time, knowledge and resources with me so I can move forward with what I enjoy. She’s a real talent and loves to give back. Her writing, podcasting and travels will attest to that.