Finch Design

Custom Flash Site: Harwell Photography

2010-02-24T17:39:00.001-08:00

This site features the striking images of Jeremy Harwell. We used images of birds flying to connect pages one to another, and animated the scrolls of the front page for a round, graceful flow. I had a great time working with Jeremy to bring his vision to life!

Jeremy's words: I use my site to attract the client that I want to work for. It is my main way of showing my work, and reaching my target client. A great website to a photographer is everything!

I LOVE my site, Ryan took my inspiration and brought it to life! I receive so many compliments from Artists on what an Amazing site it is.

Ryan is a consummate Artist who is easy to work with! I without reservation have recommended him, and will continue to recommend him!

It was such a pleasure working together on this site!

Artwork for Petracovich's Album CREPUSCULO

2010-02-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

This is Jessica Peters Malmberg of the band Petracovich.

Ryan created the beautiful artwork for my album, Crepusculo in 2009. The textures in the background, the colors, and the images all came together to form such a perfect home for the songs that I'd worked on for years, and wrapped them in a package that could open people's hearts to what I had created before they even listened to it.

It isn't easy to get your work out there as an artist, and the image for my CD is so important when it comes into hands that open about 100 packages of them daily! Ryan's work made a big difference in getting the album heard and giving it a chance because of the simple, heartfelt beauty it was able to convey.

Ryan drew some beautiful images of animals that I've related to and learned from in my years, the strong tortoise I stand on, slow moving and confident steps, the owl for seeing in the dark and having courage in the night, the blue heron for wisdom and patience. He depicted these animals so gracefully around the image of myself, it was so fun to bring them all together.

We dedicated the album to our son Otto, who was born and passed away the same year the album was created, and the inside image of the owl was drawn just for him. Ryan was able to hold the delicacy of our hearts with that experience in the colors and feel, able to create and see beauty even in such sadness.

It's also such a pleasure to work with someone so capable and dedicated to the task, to having it come out as well as he imagines it. I'm always so impressed with what he can do, and how much time he spends making it as beautiful as he knows it can be!

Thank you Ryan!

Custom Flash Site: Birds Become Trees for Ash Imagery

2010-02-01T11:25:00.000-08:00

I just launched a site and blog for Ash Imagery. I had a lot of fun creating various animations with randomness coded in to give it all a natural and organic feel. And it was great collaborating with the very talented photographer Michael Smith. Check out the site and his work. Let me know what you think.

Custom Flash Site: JAC Photography

2010-01-22T15:29:00.000-08:00

JAC Photography Working with Jamie and Chris was wonderful. They were great collaborators and this always makes projects more enjoyable. Their work is also incredible and provided a great platform for inspiration.

I particularly liked creating the clothes line themed animations through out the site. I haven't seen this out there before and thought it was a fun and unique element. It also ended up being a great match for the Jac Shoot brand - spontaneous and artistic while suggesting a certain intimacy and the relaxed nostalgia of clothes on the line drying in the sun. This also had a personal connection for Chris who hails from Australia were clothesline are a common fixture in the family backyard.

Creativity & Community

2009-03-19T16:27:00.000-07:00

The building of community is a really important concept to me. And with that in mind, it has been my intention to start an ongoing series of interviews with other creatives whose work and life perspectives inspire me. My hope is that this series will provide an opportunity for a larger community to connect and support each other. And that in the sharing of our stories, we might strengthen our connection to an authentic creative process, each other and the world around us.

I would like to think of this project as a collaboration. All are welcome to participate and if you have an idea for an interview, a story, or an event that is oriented around community, creativity and altruism, let me know. I’d love to hear about it.

And now to get started! I’m really excited to launch this project with an interview with a good friend and very talented designer Josephine Tournier Ingram. Josephine is the proprietor of the design studio Josephin Designs and the clothing line ecozuzu. And she blogs at: inspired visually.

Josephine Tournier Ingram

1. What attracted you to the graphic arts?
In middle school, instead of learning – I spent my time sketching people in magazines and drawing logos of bands like Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, and Guns and Roses (that was during my heavy metal phase). When I should have been working on my homework, I was ripping images and words out of magazines and pasting them together to make collages that covered my entire closet. So that was the original spark.

In high school, it was all about fine art – sketching and painting for hours and hours. It was only in college that I returned to my passion for graphics. I spent a semester in San Francisco interning for a big graphic design studio (Reflectur) and discovered an inspiring world filled with bold art, color, typography and messages that made a real impact on society. I was drawn to the possibility of being able to use my art as a form of service as well as a place to succeed professionally.

From that point on, I couldn’t imagine wanting to do anything else with my life.

Looking Up Dresses movie production design, logo, postcard,
poster, dvd and website.

2. Where do you find your inspiration and how do you foster your creativity?
Great question! I foster my creativity and find inspiration in music, nature and other artists.

I can’t do any artwork or design without music in the background. What I listen to depends on the design project. As I write this, I’m listening to The Album Leaf (Into The Blue Again). At my last job (where I worked as an in-house designer for a skateboard company) I overheard loud music coming from all the other artist’s offices, but my office didn’t have a door, so it all filtered in and became one giant cacophony of random noise! So for the four years I worked there – every single day I put on my big headphones, turned up the music and zoned out to the melodic inspiration of good tunes. Now it’s difficult for me to work without it! Quite often, an old song will come on and completely transport me to a particular project I was working on when I first heard it.

I find so much depth and beauty in the environment that surrounds us. The colors of the ocean, skies and sunsets. Some of the most beautiful and interesting color combinations are found in flowers. I’ve created skateboard graphics using flowers, butterflies, stars, waves and sunsets. I recently created a clothing line collection for ecozuzu based on tree branches located outside my office window.

Modern museums always inspire me (especially the Tate Modern in London). I’m also inspired by Indie music poster artists (like Jason Munn) and family and friends (like you) who are artistic. As a personal side project, I have a blog called “inspired visually” where I post art and graphics that inspire me as an artist. Along with posting some of my own graphic art and designs, I have a list of family and friend’s websites that inspire me. I try to keep an eye on what’s happening in the art world through the internet, books and magazines. In my office, one entire wall is covered in a collage I made about 6 years ago – from random magazine clips, comic strips, photos, text, postcards, stamps, playing cards, old envelopes, and acrylic paint brush strokes. I continue to add to it when I feel inspired.

3. What have been the pros and cons of moving out of an in house design position with Skate One into the ownership of your own design studio?
Working at Skate One was a great opportunity. I met great friends there and learned a ton working on historic brands (Powell Skateboards, Bones Wheels, MiniLogo, Powell-Peralta, Bones Bearings, Surf One, etc).

After four years, I wanted to expand my palette beyond the skateboard world. I wanted more variety, inspiration, different clients, and non-traditional work hours. These things have brought a certain balance in my life that seemed to be missing before. Being my own boss, I am able to take time out for yoga or surfing – and in exchange I’ll work late into the night. Since I don’t have to adhere to a 9–5 job, I can structure my day according to my strengths.

Of course, there are also drawbacks to having your own business. I end up having to spend more time on “business” than graphic art. I now have multiple jobs within one job – from accountant, to product sourcing, to admin, to sales, to art director, to designer, etc. Plus, it’s not a reliable paycheck – sometimes we’re slammed with work and other times it’s slow. Working for myself is much more work and pays less, but... Wait – why do I do this? Kidding! It’s totally worth it.

4. You’ve taught design at both the college and high school level. Has your experience as a teacher as opposed to student caused you to re-examine any of your perspectives on design or its application? And do you feel teaching is integral to the process of your own growth as a designer?
Teaching forces you to focus on technical skills. For example, I’ve been using so many command shortcuts over the years that at times I forget where the original function is located in the menu bar. My fingers are so automatic when hitting keys, that when my intern recently asked me how I take a screenshot, I couldn’t answer until I placed my hands on a keyboard and then actually looked at where my fingers were striking. That’s “shift, apple, 3” by the way!

Teaching has certainly contributed to my own growth as a designer. I now try to look at graphic art through the eyes of a student as well as a professional in the industry. It’s been a great excuse to further my own study of graphic art, as well as find new upcoming artists for the students to learn from. The students ask great questions that make me really think about why I do what I do and further explore the field of graphic art in greater depth.

Devil Is Due In Dreary movie logo (for writer/director Dave Parkin)

5. Service, community and ecology are an important facet of your approach to design and business. What role do you think design and designers should be playing in improving the world around us?
When I first decided to start my own graphic design business, one of my graphic design mentors (Scott) gave me great advice as to what exactly I needed to do to start my own business. I can’t even begin to tell you how much that helped. As a result, I have gone out of my way to help other fellow designers when they need advice or students who need mentorship. We are all part of a greater community that can help one another.

When working with a client, the main goal is to help them communicate their message visually to the rest of the world. We have the power to visually inspire the viewer. When I first saw the Apple iPod AD campaign, I was immediately sold on the product. BTW – how fun are all the iPhone aps?! But more importantly, as graphic artists, we can make a positive and even life-changing impact in this world through the messages that are communicated through our artwork and design. For example, check out the AD campaigns for Red (fighting AIDS in Africa), The One Campaign (fighting poverty – founded by Bono), American Legacy Foundation (poster ads by Crispin + Bogusky), and WWF (World Wildlife Fund magazine ads by Contrapunto). A successful ad evokes some sort of feeling, emotion or action.

I want all of humanity (including myself, my nieces and future children) to live in a world with clean air, water and food - free of disease caused by pollution. I believe it is extremely important that we all do everything we can to preserve our environment and reverse the damage of global warming. One thing we can do is support eco-friendly businesses. We can work as environmentally friendly as possible (recycling our paper/inks, driving less, using energy efficient office equipment, etc). As graphic artists, we can also offer sustainable printing options to our clients (such as printing on recycled paper with soy ink). Together we can make a difference.

6. I’ve always been interested in issues of gender equality and culture. Do you feel that being a woman has informed or effected your experience within the design world?
Well, there’s two sides to that question — the effect of gender on the “art” and the effect of gender on the “business”. My art has tended to occupy a space somewhere in the middle of what we might call masculine and feminine. I would have never been hired at a skateboard company if I didn’t have a tough (or masculine) edge to my work. But I never would have been able to lead the Women’s brand of Surf One Skateboards if I didn’t have a feminine base to my work. We called the line “tough, yet feminine” and it was extremely gratifying to see the decks displayed in the male AND female sections of skate/surf shops around the globe.

I have to say that as much as being a female has helped me in the design world, it has also had it’s set of challenges. Growing up in a house of only women, I always felt an equal to men. I never felt discriminated against for being female. But once I graduated college and entered the work force, that changed. I had to deal with discrimination from time to time (from pay discrimination to sexual harassment). Luckily, I have worked mostly with men and women that have treated me with respect and equality. That gives me hope for the future – that all people will be treated with dignity and equality no matter their gender, age, race, sexual orientation, disability, economic class, nationality or culture.

7. Do you have any advice for maintaining the integrity of your work when a client has a misguided but emphatic sense of aesthetics? Is there a balance or is the client always right?
Most of the time, my clients take my advice and give me artistic control. But sometimes I come across a client that does not take my advice or simply has bad taste. Here’s what I recommend: 1) Take the extra time to create and present an additional version for them to compare. Hopefully, they will bite and go with your alternative version. 2) Gently persuade them with research from current market trends to back up your design advice.

If they are stubborn and want to stick with a misguided aesthetic, then you have to give them what they want. Hey, they’re paying for it! Just don’t put it in your portfolio. If the project seriously compromises your artistic integrity, then choose not to accept the job in the first place. But it’s pretty tough to turn down clients in this economy, so as Tim Gunn says: make it work!

8. Are there any current or recent projects that you are excited about?
I created some new graphics for London based Angeline Tournier designer boot (Colorado Rose boot) that I love wearing! You can view them on her website angelinetournier.com.

Angeline Tournier "Colorado Rose boots"

I also did some graphic design work for U.K. based Pop Beauty. It’s been fun seeing the display case I designed in Sephora stores around the globe.

I have really been enjoying creating graphics for ecozuzu (environmentally friendly line of clothing and accessories). I also designed the website and art directed the video. Check it out at: ecozuzu.com. It was a real thrill to see Adrian Grenier (from Entourage) recently photographed wearing one of my designer t-shirts!

EcoZuzu apparel design, illustrations, website and all promotional materials. Note: photos by Andrew Hugh Purcell.

9. Are there any professional resources you use or would recommend to designers who are just getting started?
I recommend taking a business class. I took courses through W.E.V. (Women’s Economic Ventures). Then get yourself a copy of the Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook for Pricing & Ethical Guidelines and read it cover to cover (available at amazon.com). The read it again. It’s a fantastic resource.

10. Do you have a golden rule of design?
I don’t necessarily have a golden rule. If anything, it’s “have fun”! If I were to mention some general rules, they’d be: Listen carefully to a client’s design needs. Create something new and exciting with a clear message. Pay attention to detail, especially in pre-press production. Make your client happy. And enjoy the process!

(Thanks Jos!!)

Portraits by Lucinda

2009-01-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

This is from a project from last year which involved a site rebuild and some accompanying identity and collateral design. Although the project started as a single page redesign it grew into the whole site and working on it in this step by step way, while implementing the original site's structure, actually ended up being a very cost effective approach.

I was just recently revisiting the site and I was pleased with how everything came together. We went for an old postcard feel and added some simple animations to provide a little bit of movement while not devaluing the work. I'm attracted to this vintage style and it was really fun to collaborate with Lucinda on the site. Often having distance from a project allows you to appreciate the work more when you return. Of course there's those projects that may invoke the opposite response. But lets hope those are few and far between.

You can check out the site and Lucinda's work here: portraitsbylucinda.com And the collateral design here: Portraits by Lucinda

Morning - August 30, 2008

2008-12-29T20:07:00.003-08:00

It was a privilege to hold you as you died.
To hear the cooing of you final breaths,

Your small body laid across my chest,
Your face turned toward mine.

You were the brave one then.
The one holding my hand at death's door.

Your soul just beneath your skin.

Our Boy

2008-12-29T20:07:00.001-08:00

“Were is he?” Were is he?”
She is waking. Sitting.
Leaning toward the edge.

But he is not on the floor.
In this room.
This house.

Our boy has fallen,
But not from this bed
Rather from the thin ledge of life.

And in the morning she’ll lie prone
Screaming on the laundry room floor.
Trying to dig a hole in the water of her grief.

My Mom

2008-12-29T20:06:00.001-08:00

My mom is sitting at the kitchen table.
I’m looking at her, into her,
The woman who birthed me, her son.

“I see you search my eyes for
Answers I don’t have," she says.
"And it breaks my heart.”

She is right.
I find no answers there.

But there is comfort –
Pain and love. Shared loss.
And the death of my own son
Otto Charles.

Otto Charles

2008-12-29T20:03:00.000-08:00

He died in the morning
Before the sun rose
In the arms of my wife.

I took his body still warm
Held him on my chest
Skin to skin, son to father.

An owls wing across his back
And sage along his side.

( Breathe in )

Were you watching as we wept.
As I screamed, your small body
Rising and falling on the broken
Heart beneath my ribs.

( Breathe out )

Now in the living room we keep a candle lit
And its undulating light wanders down the hall
Into our bedroom while we sleep.

I dream you ask for water
And the flickering light kisses my eyelids
Your lips touching my brow
Tender and silent.

Petracovich

2008-12-18T14:50:00.000-08:00

Creating graphics for Petracovich is always fun because I get complete creative control and I love their music.

Ok, full disclosure: The songstress Petracovich is my wife and I'm a lucky man. But don't let that dissuade you from checking out her new blog about life, music, and the creative process.

Also, she just released a Christmas album: "Old Long Since | Winter Songs" which can be downloaded for FREE from her site: petracovich.com. For me this is right up there with Aimee Mann and Sufjan's holiday albums. For those with an artistic ear, its well worth the listen.

2008-12-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

Created new header for the Lotus Bodywork blog. For tips on health and well being check them out: Lotus Living.

Holiday Gift Idea. . .

2008-12-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

For the past several years we've been giving holiday gifts from Heifer International a nonprofit organization that addresses world hunger through creating sustainable agrarian systems in impoverished communities world wide. How it works: You give a sheep, cow, flock of geese, etc. to someone in your family and then that animal becomes part of a sustainable self-reliant family farm in an area of need. Its a great way to embrace the larger global community with the holiday spirit and to avoid contributing to the accumulation of stuff we don't need. Plus, its fun to give your step-mother-in-law a goat.

They're at: Heifer International

PS. If anyone wants to give a gift in the name of our son Otto who passed away this fall, we and he would be honored.

Happy Holidays everyone!!

Otto Charles

2008-12-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

My back to the earth
And face to the stars,
I ask you where you are.
“I’m right here,” you respond.
I roll my head to the left -
Grass growing into air
Where I wish your body lay.
And when I revisit my longing to the sky,
A shooting star burns its way
Through the atmosphere,
Fiery dust and a thousand kisses
Falling upon my head.

I walk the rail hewn

2008-12-04T09:20:00.001-08:00

I walk the rail hewn
From the timbers of my heart
Over hills and along wet valleys
Through fields of nettles and wheat.
Sorrow over grown with joy,
And joy buried beneath the miller’s stone.

I wish your course ran
Parallel with mine.
My arm around your shoulder
We would balance.

But your path has diverged
Along another boundary,
Or perhaps for you
There are no boundaries now.
And you float above, below, within.

If this is so, will you come for me?
Wrap my heart in the down beneath the feather
Steal me off this sorrowed rail.

Or are these wings, these powers
Meant for you alone?
You who held your breath
And kissed the face of God.

You who ascended the cold
Sinking in the canyons.
While I swayed atop
The splintered edge.

My hands reckless in their wanting.
And everything, everything
Bloody from the fall.

(For my son: Otto Charles - Aug. 22-30, 2008)