bccreative's posterous

bccreative's posterous http://bccreative.posterous.com Design and business thoughts from Bruce Colthart Creative LLC posterous.com Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:13:00 -0700 Stoneware clay masks by Chris London http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/0EC-g6pT_r0/stoneware-clay-masks-by-chris-london http://bccreative.posterous.com/stoneware-clay-masks-by-chris-london <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile2.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/yojJfhoHJsoIhEHhayxypGqywnsoCxBaGcfujrlhvpmiypCHtdkDmwpGxofG/IMG_3390.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_3390" height="669" src="http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/yojJfhoHJsoIhEHhayxypGqywnsoCxBaGcfujrlhvpmiypCHtdkDmwpGxofG/IMG_3390.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <span style="font-size: medium;">This past weekend my wife and I visited our son at University of Hartford. It was our first official "parents' weekend" with our young freshman. </span>One of the activities on campus was a small craft fair, where I discovered the work of Connecticut clay artist <a href="http://clondonclay.com" title="Artist website">Chris London</a>. <em>(Click for web site.)</em> Her collection of tiny skull masks yanked my attention from its diffuse, wandering-about state to a blue fabric covered table, adorned with a stamped swirl motif.</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/GFjFzdttmdnDHlEokyhheAvFvHqiCDcdolDEmcgxuIacroxavpCCFhEnEejh/IMG_3376.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_3376" height="373" src="http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/GFjFzdttmdnDHlEokyhheAvFvHqiCDcdolDEmcgxuIacroxavpCCFhEnEejh/IMG_3376.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> There were more, with several styles and many sizes.</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/sqmvEqbjxutpvDaeGGvolGChbgArHaaHaibxBzdCfpwbhzffpJACthsqhkJF/IMG_3377.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_3377" height="373" src="http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/sqmvEqbjxutpvDaeGGvolGChbgArHaaHaibxBzdCfpwbhzffpJACthsqhkJF/IMG_3377.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p>What quickly came to mind, for a point of reference, was Tim Burton's 1993 <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4011429632/tt0107688?slideshow=1" title="IMDB slide show">A Nightmare Before Christmas</a>.</em> But that's all; just a reference! Chris London's creations are chock full of so much nuanced character. Their impish experessions feel like the tip of an iceberg, as if they have so much more to tell us if we'll only take them home and listen. (In a 2008 <a href="http://clondonclay.com/storylondon0508.pdf" title="Interview pdf"><em>Hartford Magazine</em></a> interview, Ms. London said <em>"You know immediately when a piece is done... it starts talking to you."</em>)</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/fDuqqxJsrkmfumnbjasyizJscbIgudIwDHcEpIarFjodwCFDnHDxlJdiyxrn/IMG_3391.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_3391" height="669" src="http://getfile6.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/fDuqqxJsrkmfumnbjasyizJscbIgudIwDHcEpIarFjodwCFDnHDxlJdiyxrn/IMG_3391.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> This one was practically <em>singing</em>, so it came home with me together with the very first image, above.</p> <p>I thank my wife Jennifer for insisting that I top off our purchase and also get the larger mask I was audibly ogling. It features a repeating, cropped-spiral texture, wide-set eyes on it's own mask (<em>mask on a mask</em>), subtle bulges for nose and mouth areas, and a slightly rough finish overall. It's about 10 inches tall and ready to hang.</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/vsdyEigDgDueEttxjEoGCcnzDJzntJhvdxatyzmikGroxxFhzGCzkIIlHcFl/IMG_3388.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_3388" height="669" src="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/vsdyEigDgDueEttxjEoGCcnzDJzntJhvdxatyzmikGroxxFhzGCzkIIlHcFl/IMG_3388.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p>Remember folks, clay artists aren't just potters...</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/ACzapkyilwnkChwkFkhyCkBoJGJdfGFDvJrtgrpCvrpwgCdaDcJkdmEihwtp/IMG_3389.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_3389" height="669" src="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/ACzapkyilwnkChwkFkhyCkBoJGJdfGFDvJrtgrpCvrpwgCdaDcJkdmEihwtp/IMG_3389.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/pdimzCkexGxxaBmodItyplaFuoducfyqErqAgAtesBukpzasxuJojICpysrx/IMG_3393.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_3393" height="669" src="http://getfile4.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/pdimzCkexGxxaBmodItyplaFuoducfyqErqAgAtesBukpzasxuJojICpysrx/IMG_3393.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://getfile5.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/GyAjiAcDnAbjalhuknxGeJrlcvuAfmJufbGCIvHwoAymegmECdGztejhqack/IMG_3387.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_3387" height="670" src="http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/GyAjiAcDnAbjalhuknxGeJrlcvuAfmJufbGCIvHwoAymegmECdGztejhqack/IMG_3387.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/rypsJdCspjzdoHjjyqaFgwGxCkGcIIEltftfxlrCvyqCEpjIfaJpJzDhafsl/IMG_3392.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_3392" height="669" src="http://getfile8.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-24/rypsJdCspjzdoHjjyqaFgwGxCkGcIIEltftfxlrCvyqCEpjIfaJpJzDhafsl/IMG_3392.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/stoneware-clay-masks-by-chris-london">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://clondonclay.com" title="Artist website">www.clondonclay.com</a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/stoneware-clay-masks-by-chris-london">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/stoneware-clay-masks-by-chris-london#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/0EC-g6pT_r0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/stoneware-clay-masks-by-chris-london Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:39:00 -0700 My little Steve Jobs picture shrine; today, his last day http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/E5_9eOK8EVA/my-little-steve-jobs-picture-shrine-today-his http://bccreative.posterous.com/my-little-steve-jobs-picture-shrine-today-his <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Blu_tears" height="130" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/xxBFBbtngabjvfJCcoepGoofCggBqzvgbtisacbCffstCsmIaCxafAJGzEkE/blu_tears.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="111" /> </div> I heard the news today. Oh boy...</p> <p>While I can be accused of Apple<em> Fanboydom</em>, the truth is that although I've been squarely in the Apple camp since the mid 1980s, I can probably only count on two hands the number of Apple products bought for my own use over those many years. All but one has been a traditional computer - my year-old iPhone. So I've not over-indulged. Don't tell anyone but my current desktop Mac, which I bought <em>reconditioned</em> from Apple almost 5 years ago doesnt even have an Intel chip in it! (Though for how much longer this will suffice, I do not know.)</p> <p>I respect the guy more than I <em>adore</em> him. He is a <em>very</em> consequential human being, unmoveably staked into the timeline of western culture.</p> <p>Early on today I was struck by some of my fFacebook friends reverently changing their profile images to reflect this dark day. I myself waited until later in the day, after being inspired to look for more appropriately iconic images.</p> <p>Below is the rest of what my search for [primarily] black 'n white images turned up regarding Mr. Jobs. There are more out there, to be sure. But certain ones I've left in the trash heap of forgettable me-too attempts (too many lame "iSad" ones, especially).</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Candle1" height="448" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/eghcnfatvFJCwpCgyFptxvbBtHazcdmwocDknGHyxtjIDCHAvfnmDezysBkc/candle1.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="335" /> <img alt="Ipad" height="180" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/BtqnwykopClvuGaihkankxHjtyFFslnxGkDkJneujvFlfgvjGEJJksHIICIt/ipad.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="300" /> <img alt="Leaf1" height="253" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/GJvIHlDFBHfuIynGtqxBClJAcyEtoDdtCzbIEttcweqGHrAGpJfBteGhqyyD/leaf1.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="308" /> <img alt="Leaf2" height="225" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/okBEiBDwJfJejukGGeffsbzrreGffJvzupirkpcbzhDxmCEdDbeFenwpBjEv/leaf2.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="225" /> <img alt="Moof" height="273" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/ipjvxBsGovkgFswyCdiprICzgbpvnknBzEwJecsxdmboooqIklGpajujmEGb/Moof.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="312" /> <img alt="Doll" height="559" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/ruxoFfgpnyEsrypyxgIkczCgfrHmnJznEHitapgFppteGdmIppvsqtouCEFe/Doll.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="440" /> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/xrbmFfCJEBybfgosieatwcfiHjhzCjqDbHthHhGtoGlalferfCxcBGwDoqig/fullandpixelly.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Fullandpixelly" height="500" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/xrbmFfCJEBybfgosieatwcfiHjhzCjqDbHthHhGtoGlalferfCxcBGwDoqig/fullandpixelly.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/jvhtzkhsfIutxfDuhDeJwEdoIcymDABBpJxtCymlzgzllaveactGboJJibob/NoMore.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Nomore" height="329" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/jvhtzkhsfIutxfDuhDeJwEdoIcymDABBpJxtCymlzgzllaveactGboJJibob/NoMore.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <img alt="Gothic_text" height="219" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/rhoiIAwjwDjumCfEvkbqJshhnDqapvhcyhgrgECoqCDvAcdqgwDFzCdDwwwy/gothic_text.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /> <img alt="Graystripes" height="330" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/JburbpiJAHFvrmADbanCyjdEcBywqyCCyBafEHfGCjFHjyBbcquqIjhoAzbF/GrayStripes.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="330" /> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/skbEbctFqbChiIFEaFtgngJEiJxvjvdGyvrIwytrAkHoxrchplzBnHfolBtq/HiFidelity.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Hifidelity" height="356" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/skbEbctFqbChiIFEaFtgngJEiJxvjvdGyvrIwytrAkHoxrchplzBnHfolBtq/HiFidelity.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <img alt="Prostrate" height="344" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/iorqmrumEGDHgwyIhkvomIzfuorAhlowwkynJCukHypxhbpBbHuktAdBImbE/Prostrate.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="400" /> <img alt="Ring" height="263" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/lByjpzmzibbEkHtltaugmluIpxAvCxGHHgvhkcGCbsavxpbabqDsuzCflqyi/ring.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /> <img alt="Ripscript" height="220" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/yuGHFbGiCkaeahgeoxFHrGkzymzkJnJDmoukaFevjJavyCAunAeohHBxfuiw/ripscript.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="300" /> <img alt="Sadphone" height="400" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/wzrlkFsGkcJwjCpkrCdrhgqjDCFHpIHnnvHJgjDjkbEoHmpHflhnxyttClEj/sadPhone.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="400" /> <img alt="Se" height="280" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/BcAfHorjbJosAoovEFmwjJztFsBfvspwItytwDznJwqgnBHxyFvsvekhfzIE/SE.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="460" /> <img alt="Se2" height="500" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/nDceemubEilecfiIcpcwwkxlhvJkzhDphDkICeiqJAImCdgCgtEciHcfyvxC/SE2.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /> <img alt="Tear2" height="466" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/jbDaDEimsfJszyltwExyqaEpmsCHpzotFCakdvtzscybsEywAbxvDgBGmnBq/tear2.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="350" /> <img alt="Oldlogo" height="490" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/DwlryjzsIgCzDDxlwetABvsjsbugdBfdCccEryzHbHntsCqzicFGIliCEfAA/OldLogo.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="350" /> <img alt="Oshit" height="398" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/lymDnBGzcjDIadojqJkgfzxsgggcayogCehjFFBaqjvJgmxxEaeDChFuxIpv/Oshit.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="450" /> <img alt="Profile" height="363" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/exBiAGiazvcyczEmcAektxjqjdcshvyyGiEddJoIzxrixcnvhyHdrEnbsGdh/Profile.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="376" /> <img alt="Profile2" height="195" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/BCmGxoCfqDfuwCybpzyIisEtfJfnmwkCwsmoAIsIamlmekxfahHoyarmqlIo/Profile2.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="257" /> <img alt="Turtlemark" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/tlwzdaezzeeBrHxlvutiDoeuppptreJeveoizgHGqEcEizsyncnxamAiicFl/turtlemark.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /> <img alt="Wave" height="179" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/DzBkpiawspCknJuqwHuktGegAazJkosAwdIvBfFsHCBHqEAjyfwJcFvpBwxw/Wave.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="320" /> <img alt="Yearbook" height="500" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/IGozJygohzwxHyIGhrkgopEBCpHizcswslprfzumawtvrdgzrxmCphnucnuy/yearbook.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="448" /> <img alt="Youngandpixely" height="320" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/GHtustqAJxEmhwrHxIJpmwahviJCEcybfxvlxrdkmiHvtzgnJrgevrvlkoio/youngandpixely.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="320" /> <img alt="Tee" height="442" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/GsDktnviztAqGcCuuvkkGDkkEnxGwlbCxxpaaGwbGmAukcGzBgeEeCtIiwdo/Tee.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="442" /> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/qxFjEzmIcmHtycrwtwGivDbnaejjoeHCigyJigFGxndHomdrqbmsndtlJtiJ/Tissues.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Tissues" height="343" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-10-06/qxFjEzmIcmHtycrwtwGivDbnaejjoeHCigyJigFGxndHomdrqbmsndtlJtiJ/Tissues.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/my-little-steve-jobs-picture-shrine-today-his">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> Not all images were made today. Several were commentary on Jobs' recent departure as Apple CEO but seem perfect for <em>this</em> point in time. I like to think it's a good thing that some among us felt moved enough to contribute their own iconic images towards the departure - and then the ultimate passing - of a creative personality, himself an icon.</p> <p>Some interesting, unknown instrumental music is playing as I write this, appropriate for remembering someone who can list supercharging the digital music revolution among his many accomplishments.</p> <p>Thanks for all the cool stuff, for my work and play.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/my-little-steve-jobs-picture-shrine-today-his">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/my-little-steve-jobs-picture-shrine-today-his#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/E5_9eOK8EVA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/my-little-steve-jobs-picture-shrine-today-his Sat, 20 Aug 2011 10:00:39 -0700 iPhone photo: Hard Boiled Death Star http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/I4vfZCZBiXk/iphone-photo-hard-boiled-death-star http://bccreative.posterous.com/iphone-photo-hard-boiled-death-star <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/BEbvnxdtFoHprJDcqabgnivwtIkCGaCAkztHwfGkkEhaotgeCHAHjnFwdFCp/p250.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="P250" height="624" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/BEbvnxdtFoHprJDcqabgnivwtIkCGaCAkztHwfGkkEhaotgeCHAHjnFwdFCp/p250.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/iphone-photo-hard-boiled-death-star">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/iphone-photo-hard-boiled-death-star#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/I4vfZCZBiXk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/iphone-photo-hard-boiled-death-star Sun, 31 Jul 2011 17:22:00 -0700 Hand-Made Promotional Mailer Featuring Business Cards http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/jcpryCINB8c/promotional-mailer http://bccreative.posterous.com/promotional-mailer <p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/uebBADjlDnrnsFlJijbGgdnqzAfzAFIzGhqnnFJvbwjCqDtsynrEuwbwpbjz/IMG_1000002016.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002016" height="406" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/uebBADjlDnrnsFlJijbGgdnqzAfzAFIzGhqnnFJvbwjCqDtsynrEuwbwpbjz/IMG_1000002016.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><em>Photo: cover of the two hybrid booklets.</em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In a communications landscape that feels predominantly digital and often lacks the warmth and charm of the craftsman’s hand</span>, there was a sudden and inspired opportunity this past week for me to pick up some unusual papers, old but sharp knives, various rulers, tapes, glues and burnishers and assemble something tactile, something of weight and, by extension, of importance and worthy of notice – a distinctive statement that hopefully will rise above the usual printed matter that plagues most analog inboxes.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/EqjBHnusrsFeoAtGmdhHaHawwdCxolEqAjcfgxACczpiFdgBtajxhadFJfJF/IMG_1000002017.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002017" height="554" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/EqjBHnusrsFeoAtGmdhHaHawwdCxolEqAjcfgxACczpiFdgBtajxhadFJfJF/IMG_1000002017.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/ppliquIzAyruzitmnryDuIIyHicrFFBInvwmgJfkmbIsdEdmfCnklrqmBxqj/IMG_1000002018.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002018" height="500" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/ppliquIzAyruzitmnryDuIIyHicrFFBInvwmgJfkmbIsdEdmfCnklrqmBxqj/IMG_1000002018.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/rkpiBkagnrhpEalrlCFgbaJHtCHmeohmjmuimftwGHFkchbpnuifHEipvzst/IMG_1000002019.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002019" height="494" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/rkpiBkagnrhpEalrlCFgbaJHtCHmeohmjmuimftwGHFkchbpnuifHEipvzst/IMG_1000002019.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/promotional-mailer">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> <span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #999999;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo gallery: inside views of the hybrid booklet; a real page turner.</span><br /></em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">This hand-made business card mailer/brochure hybrid (of which I made two) was sent to separate, potential referrers within Rutgers University. They had each requested that I “send [them] a few business cards” to aid recommending me as an outside creative contractor to their internal university customers needing design help for printed or online projects (i.e., annual [or other] reports, fundraising mailers, program description brochures, white papers, ebooks, online landing pages, etc.).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">To fulfill the request, I could’ve typed something on tri-folded letterhead, dropped it and a few cards into a #10 envelope and have been done with it – an easy “lumpy” or dimensional mailer to boot, drawing some attention when it arrived. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Could I have employed an oversized padded envelope, or have sent them in a box..? Though a bit gimmicky, the envelope idea was certainly a start, but I knew these recipients wouldn’t keep any box unless they could easily repurpose it. That seemed like too high a mountain to scale; I needed to get some cards out quick.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">These two prospects within the university had given me their time, at least once, on the phone recently. Having not yet met in person, I wanted the mailer to convey </span></p> <ul> <li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>personality</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>imagination</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>precision</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: small;">appreciation</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: small;">craftsmanship</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: small;">whimsy</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: small;">surprise</span></li> <li><span style="font-size: small;">and the necessary contact information</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Just as important, I’m hoping they’ll also see an unusual solution to a problem. Granted, it’s mostly <em>my</em> problem – how to keep a handful of business cards from disappearing in an office environment. But <em>they</em> will surely benefit as well by having a little show-and-tell handy as my card is handed to their internal clients in need of creative help.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/nqflEtvHjBJpralHkuqiAwbcHCEgFlirIjyGrgikcomvocyctpukgxcFtwir/IMG_1000002020.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002020" height="670" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/nqflEtvHjBJpralHkuqiAwbcHCEgFlirIjyGrgikcomvocyctpukgxcFtwir/IMG_1000002020.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/hqiempwevzhvGHJtaCAyixbskGrabDxwCqzyenArbzGHvvlJnyvxjtkojafr/IMG_1000002022.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002022" height="373" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/hqiempwevzhvGHJtaCAyixbskGrabDxwCqzyenArbzGHvvlJnyvxjtkojafr/IMG_1000002022.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/promotional-mailer">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #999999;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo gallery: fronts and back of the hand-made business cards, each 3-ply thick. And look at all those half-moon cuts I made into the kraft paperwith an Xacto knife - twenty four in all! </span><br /> </em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">So where to begin...</span> Starting out, I wanted the two-sided cards to be attached to a fairly sturdy sheet, making it easier for my referrer to file it in – and retrieve it from - a drawer, versus being strewn across the bottom of a shallow drawer or rubber-banded together in the corner of a drawer or box.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">If this containing sheet was to have die cuts holding the cards, then the reverse side would be pretty unattractive and require hiding (which is why most pocket folders have their card die cut on the pocket or flap, where it’s difficult to ever see the back side).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Folding a sheet of paper neatly solved that. The exagerated rectangle of my new kraft paper sketch pad drove the next opportunity – two ‘gates’ folding into the middle. Suddenly the adequate structural support of two paper layers was quickly doubled and now a sturdier folder! That helped with the delivery issue, as a smallish folder would neatly hold a half dozen business cards, double the “few” they asked for. When loaded up with six heavyweight, hand-hewn cards (a design and construction story in themselves), my little folder now had real heft, commanding respect.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">The next issue was how to add a little bit of message to the folder, to compliment the cards. The kraft paper would be too difficult to print on, and the two sets of cards left no interior room anyway. Aha! Bind a folio in, right at the spine. At flat size, it could come out of my inkjet printer on select letter-sized paper (that same paper would again be used for the final package insert – a handwritten note). Folded, it would give me four message panels, perfect for conveying a concise, multipart message. The message essentially reminds them that I make it easier to do their job, helping them fulfill their mission at Rutgers. The four pages were attached with a pair of staples set into pushpinned holes, then painstakingly folded flat and true with fingertips and burnishing tool.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/fclAJseldDjwsylhHrpGECrFxvzujflgEbsmiFACrrmqwCutykwsbABsirAl/IMG_1000002028.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002028" height="380" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/fclAJseldDjwsylhHrpGECrFxvzujflgEbsmiFACrrmqwCutykwsbABsirAl/IMG_1000002028.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/kDglkcxyDcEheJkhafuekIjmCJkFzgctmEFGIyEivnlGDtxoGgaiuvlsCsDm/IMG_1000002029.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002029" height="373" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/kDglkcxyDcEheJkhafuekIjmCJkFzgctmEFGIyEivnlGDtxoGgaiuvlsCsDm/IMG_1000002029.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/EdbdaozhhaDrwweiimkEdAzvcplcdrIsdFHyDBFDuEcHjmzjuJdtbpymwvCz/IMG_1000002031.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002031" height="384" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/EdbdaozhhaDrwweiimkEdAzvcplcdrIsdFHyDBFDuEcHjmzjuJdtbpymwvCz/IMG_1000002031.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/promotional-mailer">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #999999;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo gallery: the package itself, all ready to go, including the handwritten note(s) trimmed out of a single letter-sized sheet.</span><br /></em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">The folder construction was finished off with a 2.75 inch diameter <em>“bc”</em> monogram logo on the front cover, plotter-cut from metallic copper vinyl. I had a dozen or two still handy, their scale perfect for application on this kind of undersized book, booklet or folder (they’ve also appeared nicely on black- and kraft-covered cahier notepads).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Both prototyped hybrids, along with the handwritten notes finally went into kraft-colored envelopes I found at The Container Store. Finishing touches were inkjet-printed mailing labels spray-mounted on the outsides and heavy-duty but small cuts of fiberboard stiffener for the insides.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">::<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">No feedback yet as they’re still en route, but I’ll be following up to see if they arrived, and then were handled, filed and used, as planned.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">::<br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><em><strong><span style="color: #993300;">Please tell me in the comments if you've ever received or constructed a similar mailer or hand-delivered package, and also if you ever learned of its success or failure.</span></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><em><strong><span style="color: #993300;"> </span></strong><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/wiHoJrHBfIHxCqkAAnkyhdIiucGkwidxDcwJqrGAncykmsezEdwlmuBaBpzr/IMG_1000002030.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002030" height="628" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/wiHoJrHBfIHxCqkAAnkyhdIiucGkwidxDcwJqrGAncykmsezEdwlmuBaBpzr/IMG_1000002030.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><em>Photo: I promised a shout out to my glue buddy Tombo Mono Multi, when the post was completed. Thank you for being a great little product.<br /> </em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><em><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/wtyhgyaBGDtgGeyJhcebGBEgvnFypomnlanjvwGtqbzAEgaxjtunxHcvcqci/IMG_1000002047.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1000002047" height="669" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-07-31/wtyhgyaBGDtgGeyJhcebGBEgvnFypomnlanjvwGtqbzAEgaxjtunxHcvcqci/IMG_1000002047.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; color: #999999;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo: And I couldn't really have done it, so easily or so inspired anyway, without my new pad of  9 x 18 inch kraft sketch paper. Such convenience!</span><br /> </em></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/promotional-mailer">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/promotional-mailer#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/jcpryCINB8c" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/promotional-mailer Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:09:15 -0700 Idea for domestic water conservation http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/zdZH7UQPCRo/idea-for-domestic-water-conservation http://bccreative.posterous.com/idea-for-domestic-water-conservation <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Toilet" height="622" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-06-01/bGyxzCAbavhesHbduGgoEoydlakyvkEsmdunkdFJCztjyIeAndmreIstjijy/toilet.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /> </div> I'm no engineer, but am always thinking about practical conservation ideas with enough inherent profit motive to create a win-win scenario, where the inventor/producer and the public both benefit.</p> <p>While not my first idea in the plumbing fixture realm, I think this one could actually get done and be fielded quickly, providing savings of water and money.</p> <p><em>Problem:</em> Water levels in toilets today assume a "worst-case" preparation, ready to swiftly take away solid mass. But how many flushes per day, across the western world, consume twice the water than needed, when it's <em>only liquid</em> that needs carrying away?</p> <p><em>Solution: provide two water levels.</em> Higher level would be the one we all know now; the new second level would be lower, default level.</p> <p>Toilet, when flushed, would fill to a lower-than-usual level, adequate for those many quick visits we all pay during the day. When we need to sit a spell, for those longer visits, we'd push a button that would mechanically fill the bowl and the tank to a higher level, providing the necessary coverage and flushing power. Once flushed, water is filled to the lower default level again.</p> <p>Perhaps I'm naive, but my gut tells me that the button and filling aparatus would be a small engineering project versus a new fixture design with complex moving or electronic parts and/or a new casting. My solution could also - <em>maybe</em> - be a retrofit for existing setups.</p> <p>One weakness I see is that children or the elderly may not select the higher level when needed, causing backups. Perhaps this new design should have the option to override the default, keeping it at the higher level. Hmmmm... What else am I not addressing here?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/idea-for-domestic-water-conservation">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/idea-for-domestic-water-conservation#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/zdZH7UQPCRo" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/idea-for-domestic-water-conservation Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:34:00 -0700 Field Notes cahiers bring back the charm of dry transfer lettering http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/IPzWMD7CyfY/47972012 http://bccreative.posterous.com/47972012 <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-03-31/FhehkmJtldHcnpqlhuyfIydnwiwEJzhEvIpCIgvxIpfkbfDlfEzHghgDCodB/Picture_35.png.scaled1000.png"><img alt="Picture_35" height="284" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-03-31/FhehkmJtldHcnpqlhuyfIydnwiwEJzhEvIpCIgvxIpfkbfDlfEzHghgDCodB/Picture_35.png.scaled500.png" width="500" /></a> </div> Field Notes make terrific analog sketching and note-taking products, but have now outdone themselves with this limited product that's both very familiar to me, and also [now] quite unique. Us seasoned (older) types remember the days of dry transfer lettering...</p> <p><span style="color: #999999;"><em>*Cue the wavy video transition here...*</em></span></p> <p><em><a href="http://www.designdemocracy.ws/profiles/blogs/field-notes-custom-cahiers-and" title="Blog post on Design Democracy" target="_self">Rest of short blog post</a>, including short video<br /></em></p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/47972012">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/47972012#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/IPzWMD7CyfY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/47972012 Sat, 15 Jan 2011 09:55:00 -0800 If you could, how would you give away a fortune? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/WqCDMBf9qsY/if-you-could-how-would-you-give-away-money http://bccreative.posterous.com/if-you-could-how-would-you-give-away-money <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Folded_abe" height="262" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2011-01-15/DxuGCccnttpeGktxqryBmyvHJooHewltyrFjyrJjDsGzCuHEqfhdegBwrfBj/folded_abe.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="237" /> </div> I saw a beat-up car today – a lot of big dents along the old Corolla's side – parked on the street in front of a house also hosting a handyman's van. There was lumber leaning against the house, so clearly there was work being done. By the placement of this car, it's safe to assume that it belonged to a workman, perhaps the handyman's subcontractor. I imagined the [assumedly] man who owned it, perhaps single or maybe with a young family, working hard, six days a week but still struggling to stay even. I may be totally wrong; there's no easy way to confirm, but as I strolled past with my dog, I imagined being able to suddenly change that situation for him, either with a magic wand, some clandestine body work, or simply swapping out the car for a pristine one of the same vintage and color. Wouldn't that stupefy then cheer up that guy, as he approached the car after a long day, a long week, of toiling?</p> <p>That little absent-minded fantasy got me to wondering – if I suddenly had a<em> lot </em>of money, and was predisposed to give it away, just how would I do it? There's so much need in the world, so many competing, outstretched hands. There's also no shortage of large institutions who have developed creative plans and systems for helping many at a time. Assuming they're more efficient than corrupt, perhaps they could do the most good with my donation, and give relief to the most people somewhere in the world.</p> <p>Or I could sprinkle money amongst other smaller organizations, even local ones and maybe feel more of a closeness to my community. But what <em>felt </em>the most appealing as I strolled through my neighborhood this morning was the idea of a thousand acts of random kindness, like fixing that guy's car – anonymously. It might be fun to travel through this world and solve strangers' nagging problems here and there like some fairy godmother (but of the other gender and less "fairy").</p> <p>I know this daydream is no substitute for rolling up my sleeves and volunteering to help strangers with actual survival or pressing health needs. That's a whole 'nother topic.</p> <p>So I'm curious – if you were inclined to, and could afford to, give away a lot of money –<strong> how would <em>you</em> do it?</strong></p> <p><span style="color: #bdab4c;"><em>BTW, the photo of folded money art at top came indirectly from <a href="http://bit.ly/money-hats" title="Clever money origami">this Japanese site</a>. There's a lot more there to enjoy!</em></span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/if-you-could-how-would-you-give-away-money">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/if-you-could-how-would-you-give-away-money#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/WqCDMBf9qsY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/if-you-could-how-would-you-give-away-money Wed, 29 Dec 2010 13:47:17 -0800 The gift of Twitter, again http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/42hxdGYvXp0/the-gift-of-twitter-again http://bccreative.posterous.com/the-gift-of-twitter-again <p> <span style="font-size: 12.0px;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Image" height="378" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/OkeYxA2mtcD9Yaj0JvxDDnCJlUV2ikQfIzB9J4bCvDQKrQ35a9D6Ei35rhIA/image.jpg" width="376" /> </div> <p /> Twitter has come through for me in concrete ways recently, helping me get customer service issues addressed by bypassing traditional calling or website-guided resolution approaches. <p /> For example, last week, my new VOIP phone service wouldn't upgrade from its trial status to a paid account. I followed and precisely repeated directions prescribed by the company’s Support web site, but time after time I received an error message. Frustrating... Rather than open an account, just to make a complaint or even pose a question, I instead conducted a quick search on Twitter. I publicly* made contact with a company rep, via his Twitter account, and politely aired my frustration: <i>“@companyx - I keep trying to give you my money but you won't accept it."</i> The Twitter-savvy replied and arranged for Support to call me. They did, the problem was discussed and given a high priority, and the technical issue was resolved within 48 hours.<p /> *<i>Publicly</i> is key here. A company that values its reputation will (or should) have a social media presence and will monitor that media for mentions, both positive and negative, by prospective and current consumers. Unhappy customers on Twitter make noise. But appreciative customers on Twitter also make noise, but <i>good</i> noise, publicly thanking those who help them. That’s a win/win for everyone.<p /> Last night I searched Twitter again for a UPS delivery service company presence. Bingo; found a name and [again] publicly asked, “who do I bitch to about a package that arrived today instead of last Friday? Sucks paying extra $20 for service I didn't get.” Yep, a 2-day delivery premium I paid to an online merchant fell through and a Christmas gift didn’t arrive in time. I’ll survive the late delivery, but don’t want to also pay for expedited shipping. Long story short, the delivery company replied [again, publicly, on Twitter] asking me to email contact info and tracking number to him. At noon today, I got  an email saying a refund was issued to the merchant, etc. Bingo! Also received a friendly follow up email too. Double Bingo! Y’see how it works and how everyone wins? <p /> For those out there unsure or dismissive of Twitter, I’m here to tell you it has more than a few redeeming features worth investigating.</span> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/the-gift-of-twitter-again">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/the-gift-of-twitter-again#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/42hxdGYvXp0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/the-gift-of-twitter-again Fri, 03 Dec 2010 12:38:01 -0800 Display window vignettes at local Goodwill store http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/kneYFy9XMTg/display-window-vignettes-at-local-goodwill-st http://bccreative.posterous.com/display-window-vignettes-at-local-goodwill-st <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/xsqkzJwyJnosIGrilACEanjkBBuIoEupxaDjkxEnkHEzkJgwBwenAGvttgbH/p71.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="P71" height="591" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/xsqkzJwyJnosIGrilACEanjkBBuIoEupxaDjkxEnkHEzkJgwBwenAGvttgbH/p71.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/IxfunalcwlzsJpBcmgamjjCBapukvzhFCrstIHHFjjIkwbyCdqkxaBJBGmiz/p73.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="P73" height="405" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/IxfunalcwlzsJpBcmgamjjCBapukvzhFCrstIHHFjjIkwbyCdqkxaBJBGmiz/p73.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/wJdDgqEcyhIthEskneGuBiouieflBxAejcBEvvGFclpfmpGHpdodImmvuHJp/p75.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="P75" height="425" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/wJdDgqEcyhIthEskneGuBiouieflBxAejcBEvvGFclpfmpGHpdodImmvuHJp/p75.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/HjroqvaJpsDguvbAxgbmCDuaEErjfxBuzbcyaHkwgGswIAgJjGiupCswGjfs/p77.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="P77" height="433" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/HjroqvaJpsDguvbAxgbmCDuaEErjfxBuzbcyaHkwgGswIAgJjGiupCswGjfs/p77.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/mmFCHbFlIfrCAGcIHwchGdbfhEnGalBAtDyfFylHffGqFronltwtDGvrczqF/p79.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="P79" height="709" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/mmFCHbFlIfrCAGcIHwchGdbfhEnGalBAtDyfFylHffGqFronltwtDGvrczqF/p79.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> <div class='p_see_full_gallery'><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/display-window-vignettes-at-local-goodwill-st">See the full gallery on Posterous</a></div> </div> </p>These oddly-domesticated characters are trying to tell us something, but I have no idea what. </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/display-window-vignettes-at-local-goodwill-st">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/display-window-vignettes-at-local-goodwill-st#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/kneYFy9XMTg" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/display-window-vignettes-at-local-goodwill-st Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:26:00 -0800 Recognizing and addressing Recipe Miscomprehension Disorder (RMD) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/fw8BPFNdp3g/do-you-suffer-from-recipe-comprehension-disor http://bccreative.posterous.com/do-you-suffer-from-recipe-comprehension-disor <p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-11-30/nbvoplBylbjtrzEmEFIEczygHDthoqxxxdoaCJtCuaqqptImbFuBysaxqDui/pie_800w.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Pie_800w" height="279" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-11-30/nbvoplBylbjtrzEmEFIEczygHDthoqxxxdoaCJtCuaqqptImbFuBysaxqDui/pie_800w.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <strong>I have somewhat of a problem, one that defines me as much as it bedevils me, </strong>one that reared its head again this past holiday. It reminded me how odd yet how blessed I am.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Picture this: early on Thanksgiving day, I'm following one of my wife's veteran recipes for a pear tart, photocopied from a magazine. All fine and good; the page has plenty of white space and an attractive photo that bleeds off the page's top edge. Comfortably below the photo is the primary text – a narrow column of ingredients to the left and instructions to the right, with bold verbs providing adequate punctuation.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><em><span style="font-size: 11pt;">"Read all the way through the recipe at least once,"</span></em><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> my wife advised <em>"so you’ll know what to expect."</em> Wise words from an experienced pro, but this amateur replied with a faint <em>"Meh,"</em> opting instead to muddle forward.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Read ahead I did, and to the end, but frankly the last third or so blurred with inattention. Surely anything tricky would reveal itself in time. My usual, confident approach to a new recipe, especially for baking, is to follow directions with mechanical precision.<span>  </span>So I became irked when a detail slipped past me: ingredients had stated<em>"1/2 cup of sugar plus 1-1/2 tablespoons"</em> Hmmm... that's a strange measurement total. Still, all the sugar went into the dough mixture. Fast forward to the final, pre-glaze command: <em>"sprinkle on the remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture before placing in the oven..."</em></span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><em><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Huh? </span></em><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What sugar? Turns out the author had intended for me to <em>reserve</em> the extra 1-1/2 tablespoons. Irritated by this revelation, I scrambled to verify, or rather<em> blame</em> the recipe text for this miscommunication. Flustered, I rescanned the text and growled loudly. I couldn’t seem to pick out sugar among the dense ingredient list! My wife had to rub my back, coaching me to remain calm.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This panicky reaction ignited a flashback to when I became a designer so many years ago. Annoyed by the layouts of printed pages – textbooks, newspapers and magazines – I was often distracted from comprehending the material efficiently. In my eyes, the <em><span style="font-style: normal;">form</span></em> was actually <em>interfering</em></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> with its <em><span style="font-style: normal;">function</span></em>! Thus my drive to understand the mechanics of information analysis and presentation began; a formal education and ongoing career followed. </span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This Thanksgiving's fleeting vexation (the pear tart was ultimately a delicious success) was a reminder of what, for better or for worse, is important to me as a creator and consumer of designed pages. Concepts like precise and purposeful word usage and placement, color distinctions, white space, helpful symbols, lines and arrows and pure typographic legibility. These are not merely decorator’s devices. In the hands of skilled designers these are means to ensure message comprehension.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">One last concept: <em>empathy</em>. To call ourselves responsible communicators, we designers need to immerse ourselves more in world of readers and less in the role of assemblers or hired stylists. Yes, style has its part to play but please, not at the reader’s expense! In the case of the recipe, why not test it with kitchen novices and listen to their feedback? Fight those safe and lazy urges and instead forge a real connection with the audience.</span></p> <p style="line-height: 150%;"><em><span style="font-size: 11pt;">How about you – what in your character or background has put you on the path you're currently on? What is important enough to sacrifice your status or comfort for? Are you still on a mission to change things that struck you as broken or wrong?</span></em></p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/do-you-suffer-from-recipe-comprehension-disor">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/do-you-suffer-from-recipe-comprehension-disor#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/fw8BPFNdp3g" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/do-you-suffer-from-recipe-comprehension-disor Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:02:00 -0700 Ugly Americans http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/-F5ljMYe1HY/ugly-americans http://bccreative.posterous.com/ugly-americans <p> <p><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;"><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/oC1hpuqOb61kIEJsqP8BCVgvMlcanVjiO6faSWPV9LC1MHJaToqpgHR8DFRQ/image.jpg"><img alt="Image" height="395" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/QnqsHxtwnVnWr7fUm8fv3iiAFQfj2Nupoyth0b7FybFwtu10P3TEgdFEWmae/image.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /> <strong>Even with all the graphic, </strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">onscreen </span></span></strong><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;"><strong> mayhem</strong> at a recent viewing of Robert Rodriguez’s "grind house" film <em>Machete</em>, I was distracted, but not by a talking, texting or seat-kicking patron. It was the silhouette of a stroller </span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;"> that I found disturbing</span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">, just a few rows below me and off to the left. The "adults" </span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">nearby </span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">also brought along at least one older, but still small, child.</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;"><em>Selfish</em> is the word that comes to mind for those who sacrifice the mental health of the very young just to catch a movie punctuated by stabbings, shootings, decapitations, evisceration and even a crucifixion (a real curmudgeon might also throw in the topless jiggling and offscreen sex). </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">I understand, firsthand, that parents are like other people, deserving of non-childcare entertainment. But I'm stunned by what can only be described </span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">generously </span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">as a "thought process" that leads to the "it'll be okay" or the "who cares" attitude about the exposing young eyes and ears to full frontal depravity and explosive violence as "entertainment." <br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">It's as though these oblivious parents are polluting the water that everyone, you and I all drink from, contributing to the already twisted world view that children are immersed in and led to see as everyday, as normal, as sanctioned by the adult masters. It's not fair to civil society who'll likely pay a price for these future delinquents' incarceration and/or rehabilitation or just plain warped sense of propriety.<br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">We're all familiar with the "under 17 not admitted without a parent" monition of the R-rating, but I doubt there's anything like a <em>minimum</em> age requirement to enter the theater when the showing is R-rated ("you must be <em>this old</em> to see the movie with your parents"). I have to assume when the rating was being discussed, the notion of "common sense" came up, preventing the inclusion of protection for little kids. Despite this being a "free country," the entire movie industry, right down to the ticket tearers, ought to agree and enforce new <em>"hey stupid!'</em> wording, don't you think?</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">#   #   #<br /></span></span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/ugly-americans">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/ugly-americans#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/-F5ljMYe1HY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/ugly-americans Wed, 18 Aug 2010 10:00:00 -0700 Bonneville Salt Flats http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/tuSxLxQXdPE/bonneville-salt-flats http://bccreative.posterous.com/bonneville-salt-flats <p> <p><span style="font-family: Lucida Grande,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">Love this photo.<br /> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/lJC14YBUZoRcOfCU8yeEg9s7PRgHfVqHpWrF2wbVLv1csybEk5fhggK1PG6G/image.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="Image" height="983" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/dnTHADfE976BDZdndWt3RKNcOLEhNCbLHth8r30exnzZ6ZghcxrwMM6zm1UA/image.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /> <em>Speed Week at Bonneville is an annual racing contest in mid August. The crew pits are in the foreground. The track, defined by two black oil lines, stretches 10 to 15 miles, allowing drivers to start, accelerate, reach full speed in the flying mile (where top speeds are measured), and decelerate to a full stop. </em><em><span style="color: #808080;">Photograph: George Lepp.</span></em><em><span style="color: #808080;"><p /> </span></em>On Places — coinciding with Speed Week at Bonneville — a gallery created by architect Martin Hogue documents decades of land speed racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats of western Utah. Essay with 38 slides by <strong>Martin Hogue</strong> is the William Munsey Kennedy Jr. Fellow in the College of Environmental Forestry at the State University of New York, Syracuse.<br /> <span style="color: #808080;"><em><br /> </em></span><em><a href="http://places.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=14798" title="Design Observer Essay">Via Design Observer </a></em></span></span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/bonneville-salt-flats">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/bonneville-salt-flats#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/tuSxLxQXdPE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/bonneville-salt-flats Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:20:00 -0700 The healing power of antique wooden boats http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/aCZmyYi7bGE/a-thousand-things-to-love-about-the-antique-b http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-thousand-things-to-love-about-the-antique-b <p> <p><br /><strong><span style="font-size: medium; color: #b57d4a;">The <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.abm.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Antique Boat Museum</a></span></span></strong><span style="font-size: medium; color: #b57d4a;"> </span><strong><span style="font-size: medium; color: #b57d4a;">wasn't the main reason for vacationing</span></strong> around <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=clayton,+NY&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Clayton,+NY&gl=us&ei=aWNfTPqgGIK0lQfC6aSZCA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CB8Q8gEwAA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clayton, New York</a> last week, but it was one of the first attractions I'd come across when looking into the "1000 Islands" area of the upstate region. I'm going on record to say that the area, and the museum in particular, are so worth the trip if you'll be anywhere nearby.<br /><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/eegseJapegwwGDjubIrntDwtmnfcBkdybAeAbvgpthsGsExDlxHjaBCmezxI/DSCF0057.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf0057" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/eegseJapegwwGDjubIrntDwtmnfcBkdybAeAbvgpthsGsExDlxHjaBCmezxI/DSCF0057.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <span style="color: #999999;"><em>Just one of the thousands of islands, of all sizes, in the 1000 Islands area.</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small; color: #000000;">My wife Jennifer, Harry the Dog and I </span>all spent four days in the vicinity last week, soaking up the lush scenery and sunny weather – and even an <a href="http://www.thousandislandslife.com/BackIssues/Archive/tabid/393/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/195/Music-amp-Art-in-Clayton.aspx" title="Clayton Opera House article">Opera House</a> performance by <a href="http://www.loslobos.org/splash/" title="Los Lobos band site">Los Lobos</a> – while staying in a nearby cottage on the Saint Lawrence River. All nice, all fun, and just the escape (however short) from my NJ design business that I <em>so</em> desperately needed. Despite the urge to do and think <em>absolutely nothing,</em> the designer in me, or more precisely <span style="font-style: italic;">the muse</span> <em>that led me to this profession</em>, simply couldn't rest once I got in the doors of this extensive repository.<br /><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/cgltzpdGjcaghDjJDnpdkzurFkIItEJnmubwrtktpwGEnJwJFtdjhidlmHgb/DSCF0007.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf0007" height="667" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/cgltzpdGjcaghDjJDnpdkzurFkIItEJnmubwrtktpwGEnJwJFtdjhidlmHgb/DSCF0007.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/FiJcIjtFvnqAbDykIuijlcBisxHkcFBmwurCmkooqvBgwsdmjxJFIegnhBgm/DSCF0003.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf0003" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/FiJcIjtFvnqAbDykIuijlcBisxHkcFBmwurCmkooqvBgwsdmjxJFIegnhBgm/DSCF0003.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/yHgkCjteaACtaIcBmublgrDvljsvBvrbAwaImeAtECglsIfcwAfmfhDzDByv/DSCF0005.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf0005" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/yHgkCjteaACtaIcBmublgrDvljsvBvrbAwaImeAtECglsIfcwAfmfhDzDByv/DSCF0005.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/IoBhiqctwqfpoqvfEbslnnooGqsqBiJgAAvmFIsfsFElBitGHdjkGchGzzaJ/DSCF0006.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf0006" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/IoBhiqctwqfpoqvfEbslnnooGqsqBiJgAAvmFIsfsFElBitGHdjkGchGzzaJ/DSCF0006.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <span style="color: #999999;"><em>These aren't the only boats on display, but are the among the first seen once you enter. The craftsmanship of these are outstanding! This canoe is fashioned from several different woods and the grid, to keep your feet dry, is a stunning display of joinery.</em></span></p> <p><br />Chances are I won't knock you over with my photography. Like a lot of things in life, you had to be there. However, you should get <em>the flavor</em> of the many boats on display, the vast majority of them wooden and from a bygone era. I'm not a boat owner and certainly no boat expert. In fact I don't have a particular fascination with boats. What I <em>do</em> have is an appreciation of craftsmanship and utility and, to the degree that form indeed follows (or should follow) function, great design. Throw in my ever increasing sense of nostalgia for a less mass-produced world, together with my discovery of this <em>north country's</em> relationship to a river as vast as the St. Lawrence and nearby Lake Erie... and I am positively hooked on this romantic new landscape I've conjured.<br /><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/EAnjsJyimtGEAGewisxgFhbHEoJtwckiBwfxkfEzeqyeEqwrEvFpyvttaaBk/DSCF0013.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf0013" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/EAnjsJyimtGEAGewisxgFhbHEoJtwckiBwfxkfEzeqyeEqwrEvFpyvttaaBk/DSCF0013.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p><span style="color: #999999;"><em>I must admit that I love this shot. The natural light was just as you see it.</em></span><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/aJhFCGlBEIgvForFInhIhIoDdzrFIwuqemskGjqkuAfimcvDxcnoyJAApAIo/DSCF0014.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf0014" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/aJhFCGlBEIgvForFInhIhIoDdzrFIwuqemskGjqkuAfimcvDxcnoyJAApAIo/DSCF0014.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <span style="color: #999999;"><em>A wider lens would've helped. I'd have taken many more shots...</em></span></p> <p>Asked if I could somehow pick a new career, or set the way back machine to earlier days, I've always answered that carpentry, perhaps finish cabinetry, would be my choice occupation. This trip has prompted me to upgrade that fantasy to <span style="font-style: italic;">wooden boat builder</span>. (I'll pretend too that I have a passion for being on the water, some interest in fishing and that I can swim for more than 10 minutes before sinking). It'd be like sculpting, but then I'd get to see my work climbed in, maybe hear it propelled with a roar, and watch as necks craned for a longer look. I can imagine that being very satisfying mmmmmm...<br /><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/EdtuypxdhGqGaoqAsDIHqAsFJgjnwvFdJfejmfuoqydBqwzzoGjeqbfvvxoF/DSCF0015.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf0015" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/EdtuypxdhGqGaoqAsDIHqAsFJgjnwvFdJfejmfuoqydBqwzzoGjeqbfvvxoF/DSCF0015.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <span style="color: #999999;"><em>This wing of the building was huge, with platforms to climb up against or into the boats. The mezzanine had a nice display of outboard motors over the years, featuring jet age design influences of the 50s.</em></span></p> <p>Boats of all kinds are clearly central to the history of this area, its current economy and its reputation as a recreational destination. What's on display here is the fun, the lifestyle, the workmanship and certainly the privelege aspects of recreational boating. My tour of the museum was not a proper research mission by any means; I read very few of the informative displays beside many of these wonderful specimens. Overlooked was the whole layer of history and exotic, wealthy personalities that I <span style="font-style: italic;">may</span> absorb on my next trip. Placards and presenters alike stand ready to share tales of turn-of-the-century industrialists and their expensive "needs." But like models in a quality gentleman's magazine, the boats – the beautiful boats! – were far too seductive to allow any substantial <span style="font-style: italic;">reading</span>!</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/GGIdGiCEGsyEyyEdEkjqFeaHJrdCCbtFngGDxGiddybBDCtcBitkctwhrgnf/DSCF0017.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf0017" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/GGIdGiCEGsyEyyEdEkjqFeaHJrdCCbtFngGDxGiddybBDCtcBitkctwhrgnf/DSCF0017.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/FmGBvefkpvgahhlAAcxaqjobiIAicsraBnsseIBcnetubAeIcjhhGqrqplEf/DSCF0018.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Dscf0018" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-10/FmGBvefkpvgahhlAAcxaqjobiIAicsraBnsseIBcnetubAeIcjhhGqrqplEf/DSCF0018.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <span style="color: #999999;"><em>Across the street from the main building was the racing boatcollection. One interior wall's length featured a display of water speed records through the decades (the 1978 record of 317.6 mph still stands!).</em></span></p> <p><br />A significant take away from this article still eludes me. Perhaps it's simply the great joy of having combined sun-soaked escapism with total immersion in an alien (to me) and specialized design discipline, in one idyllic locale. That's it! My newfound purpose is to recommend such vacations to burned out designers everywhere. I suppose now that the only way to improve upon this particular theme is to actually get<em> out on the water</em> in an antique wooden power boat, instead of talking about it!</p> <p> </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">#  #  #</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-thousand-things-to-love-about-the-antique-b">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-thousand-things-to-love-about-the-antique-b#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/aCZmyYi7bGE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-thousand-things-to-love-about-the-antique-b Fri, 28 May 2010 14:27:00 -0700 How Lost SHOULD have ended http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/Pg31oNNu3aA/how-lost-should-have-ended-9 http://bccreative.posterous.com/how-lost-should-have-ended-9 <p> <p><span style="font-size: medium;">I didn't see the big <em>Lost </em>finale</span> last week or so, nor have I ever watched an episode, so I'm not even going to try to judge the series, let alone the finale. But who can resist this animated gif that offers its own alternate ending?<div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Lost" height="125" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-05-28/AranmByweJaBGBxwpdxCJzqlssIsqdAzAuphysaafbnHosgumllInpyfJaEr/Lost.gif" width="237" /> </div> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/how-lost-should-have-ended-9">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/how-lost-should-have-ended-9#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/Pg31oNNu3aA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/how-lost-should-have-ended-9 Sun, 18 Apr 2010 14:07:00 -0700 Today's Secret Word: Sphagnum http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/PwWfFSWjilQ/todays-secret-word-sphagnum http://bccreative.posterous.com/todays-secret-word-sphagnum <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Tom-selleck" height="330" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-04-19/cjaquGauxbjakqjIcwAJqlBGytdmheJalltineAezfqFJHeFoftorIEluxss/tom-selleck.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="285" /> </div> If you have a yard or live up in the north country, you might know this one. I'm gambling that enough of you are less interested in what it really is and more interested in what it could mean. A sun-soaked afternoon of vernal labor, together with a meandering cerebral cortex, yielded a few possibilities...</p> <ul> <li>Succeeded by the letters <em>P</em> and <em>I</em>, and in the company of a bushy mustache, it could keep you mildly entertained.</li> <li>A gentlemen knows, but will never tell, that it's that thing between your hoohah and your <em>oh no you d'i'nt!</em> </li> <li>As a prisoner of war, it might be screamed at you from irate German overlords, something demanding immediate accomplishment...<em>schnell!</em> </li> </ul> <p>At this point it's only fair to admit certain liberties I automatically exercise with the word's pronunciation. As with the ever-evocative [but not my]<em> sphincter</em>, <em>Sphagnum's</em> opening (forgive the pun) <em>sf</em> sound isn't nearly as entertaining as the superior <em>shf</em> sound. Repeat one after the other: s<em>ph</em>incter, <em>shph</em>incter, s<em>ph</em>incter, <em>shph</em>incter... Funnier, right? Now try it silently, unless you enjoy the raised-eyebrow-curious-double-take from your coworkers, neighbors or in my case, the previously napping dog.</p> <p>When you're done wiping that tear from under your eye, the word's real meaning may induce a similar ocular moistening known as <em>glazing</em>. You see, <em>Sphagnum</em> is essentially peat moss, the fibrous brown stuff that you add to soil to reduce drying and compacting... uh oh... I've lost you already, haven't I; you're checking your inbox now aren't you. Well, while you're gone, here's a final fact to drain marrow from your funny bone: peat mining is an unsustainable industry. A thousand years in the making just to be snatched away and buried somewhere in suburbia. Better to make your own compost.</p> <p>Okay, done. We here at <em>Today's Secret Word</em> welcome uninformed interpretations of rare and interesting letter combinations. Feel free to share some of your favorites.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/todays-secret-word-sphagnum">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/todays-secret-word-sphagnum#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/PwWfFSWjilQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/todays-secret-word-sphagnum Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:57:00 -0800 A Cut-Paper Paradise, and A Few Favorites http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/B3u9vAK0HMY/a-cut-paper-paradise-and-a-few-favorites http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-cut-paper-paradise-and-a-few-favorites <p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;">The afternoon of Saturday February 13th found my wife and me heading to the <a href="http://www.madmuseum.org/" title="Museum site">Museum of Art and Design</a> in New York City. After talking and thinking about one of its particular exhibits now for what seemed an eternity, we finally closed in on its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Circle" title="columbus circle">Columbus Circl</a>e location after completing a good 3 laps or so around the 70-foot high pillar that is the perch of the great navigator himself.<p /> Through April 4th of this year, the Museum is home to <a href="http://collections.madmuseum.org/html/exhibitions/485.html" title="Show site"><strong><em>Slash </em>– <em>Paper Under the Knife</em>,</strong></a> a showing of paper art ranging from standing structures to hanging sculptures to enormous murals to intimate little book constructions to topographically carved book<em> de</em>constructions. <br /> When the elevator eventually opens onto the 5th floor, you're met by quite literally the splashiest mural of the show – Andreas Kock's full wall Paperwork #935G that spills onto the floor and even splashes a bit onto the ceiling and adjacent wall. <p /> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Image" height="434" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/qdBiBq41o19rardujlMSmLCFvGjwQFPE1hpzIqQ1vcHkOn3eWTCahj4clbYS/image.jpg" width="476" /> </div> <br /> <span style="color: #808080;"><em>(just a screen grab; you can pan and zoom the entire image on the museum site.)<br /> </em></span><br /> A nice bonus – at a few locations in the gallery’s two floors are kiosks loaded with video interviews of several of the exhibiting artists, each discussing their piece, or talking about their particular medium and methods. These too can be samples at the museum’s site.<p /> As a print designer and someone who enjoys the finer points of paper, I knew I’d enjoy the show. After looking at a dozen or more works, I was pleased that I had no favorite. But one did emerge halfway through the collection. Literally, it did not strike me at first, even though it was large and easily viewed from across the room. It took a close up inspection to really reveal itself and make me grin with surprised, unexpected delight.<p /> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/tmpAATYKwOoSDJ5UoCm3C7QTFejZdfwUTWMR6PXvC7OnhryrlIIA7BiiZqt6/0image.jpg"><img alt="0image" height="387" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/XHbXIzTvZzSHqGvm8CYTEU9zlKO4DuxNd9kfC3oUIOZvkBQPvuIdl8ccYrR9/0image.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /> <span style="color: #808080;"><em>The Series of Illusionist Architecture for the Vault of St. Ignatius in Rome</em> by Tomas Rivera<br /> </span><br /> Sure, it looks “interesting” and certainly commands the wall its on at the end of the room. But put your nose right up to it and you’ll see that it’s drywall, aka sheetrock, gypsum board..! In the detail below, you can see where the panels butt together and two of the many black drywall screws fastening them to the wall, just as you would in any interior under construction.<p /> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="1image" height="438" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/fhBBIt8fYgFLiJuzqqhWxtfnuQjvaDMdLR7PCqo8aRPj8g35GXSTPeB4saf2/1image.jpg" width="482" /> </div> <br /> The light tan you see here (actually more like gray) is the original paper surface of the wall product, with the slightly darker brown being the <em>sub</em>layer of that same paper. The lightest color (actually white) is the chalky, core gypsum material. The drywall has been scored and peeled away partially (for shading) or fully (as highlights). All that’s been added is the blue pigment of the sky. A fantastic use of such a mundane material!<p /> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/O54XbIvA9JcnTgFFcv4lg3EcxLUO3wpPtcDVhe2lbHERjxSkuq1ufkQuPEN6/2image.jpg"><img alt="2image" height="381" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/NCiESiht3O4SnNK9zpLwSlpcZULWPan63RFKWtzB9M67zDPbdLWiD30dQgrn/2image.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /> <span style="color: #808080;">Inspiration: <em>Andrea Pozzo’s 17th century ceiling painting in Rome's Jesuit church of Sant'Ignazio<br /> </em></span><br /> Rivera’s interview video on the museum site gives you even more info and intent.<p /> <span style="color: #ca7978;">****************************************************************************</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;"><span style="color: #ca7978;">******</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"><span style="font-size: 12.0px;"><span style="color: #ca7978;"> </span><br /> Probably my next favorite is Noriko Ambe’s <em>Lands of Emptiness</em>, comprised of layers and layers of cut synthetic paper that at first might appear as a world map, but thankfully is so much more – a rich, inverted, monochromatic topography that to me does allude to the major contours of an imaginary land.<p /> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/hE6DJAiRXyhyHwwPf0U0VHnoXQZJBXSpxbn9a4Z3zgPpUL14zbErIyyD94Vv/3image.jpg"><img alt="3image" height="237" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/YllS9uxo359jvqN5o8ZqC1x3KFUjwPKRGzQnbkHYIYCsQCFSQuraXhDMyCGw/3image.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <br /> <span style="color: #808080;"><em>25 3/8” (H) x 56”(W) x 1 7/16”(D)<br /> </em></span><br /> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="4image" height="440" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/bccreative/v4WLsmZj7wEKPFXhcdVLLmzZQk39hihHhA6NgZgnLo0SCmwolLFB2RowU1hp/4image.jpg" width="480" /> </div> <p /> There certainly are more dramatic, elaborate and even more arguably evocative pieces on display at this show; it really is worth the trip. Thanks for letting me, a true lover of paper, share just a few of my favorites.<p /> <span style="color: #c0c0c0;">###</span></span></span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-cut-paper-paradise-and-a-few-favorites">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-cut-paper-paradise-and-a-few-favorites#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/B3u9vAK0HMY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-cut-paper-paradise-and-a-few-favorites Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:51:00 -0800 Road of Tears http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/fTSSsE4rH2A/road-of-tears http://bccreative.posterous.com/road-of-tears <p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><span style="color: #666699;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #808080;">Bisecting my neighborhood</span> </span></strong></span>(defined as where I commonly walk my dog) is the northern tip of my town's namesake, Paramus Road, an artery allowing wayfarers north- or south-bound access to the entire length of our borough. Varying between two and four lanes, it helps drivers county-wide avoid the madness of state Route 17, running parallel 0.3 miles to the east. Traffic-clogged and lined with malls of every size, it's often rendered motionless with the addition of commuter traffic headed to or from New York City, a scant 13 miles away.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">This morning's walk with my trusty companion Harry the Dog, found us on Paramus road twice: the first leg down it's gentle slope toward the very northern tip where we turned left toward Ridgewood. Over the Saddle River and through a wooded path, around the county park and back onto Paramus Road, we walked north again toward our earlier entry point. The right hand turn onto my street was coming up, just before Paramus Road slopes away. Over this crest suddenly rose several police motorcycles under their stone faced riders, sunglasses glinting, lights flashing, sirens wailing. One stationed himself at this strategic point, twisting in his saddle to cast his protective gaze upon those soon arriving.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Where the road's pitch leveled out, a massive southbound procession was revealed – dozens of motorcycles in one large, steady but respectable growl. Most wore black leathers, many had their faces cowled against the January morning air. On the opposite side of the road, a cable of northbound cars appeared pinned to the curb, not yet given clearance to resume their trips.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Similarly motionless, behind sunglasses of my own, I was all too aware of this armada's destination. Towards the southern tip of this thoroughfare lies the sprawling George Washington Memorial Cemetery. Sadly, I'd witnessed similar motorcades for fallen policemen or firefighters. Once I saw two ladder trucks from a nearby town flanking the cemetery’s entrance, their ladders extended well above the massive stone gateway, both supporting a gargantuan, unfurled American flag. It was a powerful image, with vehicles streaming beneath into the hallowed grounds.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">The grim caravan continued its roll past. Coming from the opposite direction, a truck pulled up to the curb right near me. The driver emerged, soon informing me that the nearby town of Westwood had lost a Marine, perhaps in his mid twenties, killed in Afghanistan. His own daughter was a Marine, he said, but fortunately she was stateside. Doffing his cap and solemnly holding it to his heart, he looked into the eyes of the riders, who were followed by police cars, then fire trucks – with one engine's rear a solid bed of flowers –followed by the hearse. Behind them were the limousines, including a lumbering bus with blackened windows. In the back seat of one of these long black cars a woman, who I imagined to be the widow or the mother, sent a tiny wave of appreciation toward my street side companion.</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">By this time, my hat was off as well, in what felt like a comparatively weaker show of respect and sympathy. I stayed put several more minutes as ordinary automobiles, all with headlights on, replaced their more formal counterparts in the continual current heading south. Looking north to where drivers would turn left from Westwood, there was no end in sight to the train of mourners. Eventually the dog and I took the turn onto our street. Thoughts and emotions came quickly: questions about my political, social and personal stances on human life, loss and sacrifice; my level of reverence towards a fallen soldier who I didn't know but nearly saw; my place in a society at war; my role as someone peering into a reluctantly public family tragedy... </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Just then ahead of me, I spied the stars and stripes on the move, bouncing towards me. My neighbor, doing her best to quickly meet the cortege at the junction I had just left, bore them. <em>"I hope I still have some time..."</em> she huffed as she passed me. Before entering my front door, I looked back to see a tilted Old Glory holding steady vigil at the corner, as cars whisked past behind it. I admired her dedication to the moment; I feel safe assuming she had some experience with the military in her family or among friends, and that it was likely she’d experienced the attendant sacrifice and perhaps tragedy along the way. Surely my friend with the truck was still there, happy to share that temporarily sacred turf with her, the flag and the grief of another small town winding its way through mine.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="color: #c0c0c0;">#         #         #</span></p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/road-of-tears">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/road-of-tears#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/fTSSsE4rH2A" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/road-of-tears Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:42:00 -0700 Spontaneity – and Tedium – in A Street Concert Broadside Design: A Dissection http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/DWTo7PBNCsM/spontaneity-and-tedium-in-a-street-concert-br http://bccreative.posterous.com/spontaneity-and-tedium-in-a-street-concert-br <p> <p><a href="http://api.ning.com/files/3pUiQQ3GK*bPcEAVnxG2JSnM*BdaaV-86lvTOpcUy*OgnkZpRqadQSjHAUjTwXow1FQS09OiD64EsUl0uoSQdEAbDML5nIGF/postershot.jpg" class="noborder" target="_blank"><img src="http://api.ning.com/files/3pUiQQ3GK*bPcEAVnxG2JSnM*BdaaV-86lvTOpcUy*OgnkZpRqadQSjHAUjTwXow1FQS09OiD64EsUl0uoSQdEAbDML5nIGF/postershot.jpg?width=147" height="200" alt="" width="147" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0 0 15px;" /></a></p> <p>This is a story of how I created and produced a particular project, one that both delighted and challenged me; one that let me trust my instincts, benefit from my experiences and take some calculated risks. I’m happy with the results, yet it may or may not be some of my best work. Hopefully this story will be interesting, even instructional, to some.</p> <h3>Here’s an outline:</h3> <ul style=""> <li>Contact</li> <li>Prologue</li> <li>Acceptance</li> <li>Hello, anyone home?</li> <li>What are the criteria?</li> <li>Never mind the criteria</li> <li>Trust me</li> <li>This is fun</li> <li>This is scary</li> <li>This is tedious</li> <li>This is done</li> </ul> <p><a href="http://blog.colthart.com/2009/10/spontaneity-&ndash;-and-tedium-&ndash;-in-a-street-concert-broadside-design-a-dissection" title="Link to Blog Post" target="_blank"><span class="more-link">[see rest of the post on my blog here…]</span></a></p> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/spontaneity-and-tedium-in-a-street-concert-br">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/spontaneity-and-tedium-in-a-street-concert-br#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/DWTo7PBNCsM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/spontaneity-and-tedium-in-a-street-concert-br Tue, 19 May 2009 03:25:52 -0700 I (well not me) have (had) a [twisted] dream http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/vRHDS2k72x8/i-well-not-me-have-had-a-twisted-dream http://bccreative.posterous.com/i-well-not-me-have-had-a-twisted-dream <p> <div style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;">I once heard or read that recounting one's dreams aloud is the lowest form of discourse, and unsurprisingly the least interesting item one human can hear from another. Or words to that effect. So I was prepared for said boredom when Ian told me he had a weird dream, as I sorta listened while also checking Friendfeed and Twitter. "Huh? Oh, yeah... what was the dream?"<p />My son, who like most kids loves animals yet has a healthy imagination, was in an animal genetics-type lab, where they had developed a wolf-like creature specifically for the transport of people. Cool, but much to his shock, they also came with cup holders.<br /><p /><span style="color: rgb(162, 162, 162);">. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .</span> <p /><span style="color: rgb(191, 95, 0);">:: bruce ::</span><p /> Bruce Colthart Creative LLC<br /> <span style="color: rgb(162, 162, 162);"><span><a href="http://twitter.com/bccreative" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/bccreative</a></span></span><br style="color: rgb(162, 162, 162);" /><span style="color: rgb(162, 162, 162);"><span><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com" target="_blank">http://bccreative.posterous.com</a></span></span><br style="color: rgb(162, 162, 162);" /><span style="color: rgb(162, 162, 162);"><span> <a href="http://blog.colthart.com" target="_blank">http://blog.colthart.com</a></span></span><br style="color: rgb(162, 162, 162);" /><span style="color: rgb(162, 162, 162);"><span> <a href="http://www.colthart.com" target="_blank">http://www.colthart.com</a></span></span><p /></div> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/i-well-not-me-have-had-a-twisted-dream">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/i-well-not-me-have-had-a-twisted-dream#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/vRHDS2k72x8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/i-well-not-me-have-had-a-twisted-dream Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:58:00 -0700 A few words to my 16 year old son, Ian http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~3/8oehHC2Fz2g/a-few-words-to-my-16-year-old-son-ian http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-few-words-to-my-16-year-old-son-ian <p> <div style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(134, 132, 131);"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ian and his mom are members of the local Unitarian Universalist Society. This morning features a "Coming of Age" ceremony, for which my younger son has been preparing over the last few months. There's an informal ceremony, where a dozen kids will read their personal creedos, a group musical performance, and the chance for parents to speak on behalf of their kids. Each family is allowed two minutes(!!) My wife's "speech" is a little longer.</span></span><p /><hr style="height: 2px;" /> <br />Congratulations Ian, on this special day.<p />Before I address Ian, I’d like to say to the Unitarian Society: Thank you – for all you have given to my son; for you acceptance and attention and love; for providing a place where he can grow and feel secure in his developing convictions; where he can learn the value of his unique journey.<p />Ian, like your mom, I’m very proud of all you’ve accomplished thus far. And it’s exciting to know this is just the beginning for you; there’s so much more that you can learn and share.<p />I have a lot of ways that I could describe and congratulate you today, but let me return to a recurring theme, one that to me easily characterizes you: you’re my hero. You are undergoing a transformation as a result of all you experience, but more remarkable is your active transformation, driven by your true self, regardless of challenges or difficulties.<p />I see strength and conviction but also humility and curiousity. I see character and integrity. And I see a bright future for you and those who know you. And I see the world as being a little better for that.<p /></div> </p> <p><a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-few-words-to-my-16-year-old-son-ian">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-few-words-to-my-16-year-old-son-ian#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous_bccreative/~4/8oehHC2Fz2g" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1378044/whitehead.png http://posterous.com/users/10AniJXZexP Bruce Colthart bccreative Bruce Colthart http://bccreative.posterous.com/a-few-words-to-my-16-year-old-son-ian