THINK Creative

Paperwhite's Progress

2012-01-24T22:09:00.001-07:00

A day-by-day photo essay of my New Year's Paperwhite growing from bud to bloom. And some thoughts on the book whose title influenced the post about the Paperwhite, that roused the requisite New Year's reflections, which I have written up here on the chance that they may impassion you, too. (Say it ten times fast.)

"As I walk'd through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place, where was a Denn; And I laid me down in that place to sleep: And as I slept I dreamed a Dream…When at first I took my Pen in hand, Thus for to write; I did not understand that I at all should make a little Book in such a mode; Nay, I had undertook to make another, which when almost done, before I was aware, I this begun…"
-'Pilgrim's Progress' by John Bunyan

When I left New York City six years ago, I came to Santa Fe for a reprieve. I had never intended to become a designer/publicist/business owner when I arrived, or even to stay for so long. In fact, I thought maybe I could leave the frenzy of the city for a siesta in the mountains of the great American West, and a stress-free life of work at a spa where I would get free yoga classes, or to be a peaceful cheese intern on a goat farm (both of which still sound like fabulous fates). But, here we are: "…before I was aware, I this begun…"

It's almost an out-of-body experience sometimes to witness where life has carried us. And what can happen when we let it. I am thankful for the family and friends who have believed in our ability to tell the tales that need telling, through color and words, and helped this business grow six years strong and counting. I am grateful to our wonderful clients, not only for the work and opportunities, but for being a part of our lives and sharing their aspirations—and allowing us to be a part of their narratives in return. I've always loved reading stories, creating stories, drawing stories. My work every day now, visually and linguistically, is to discover and to tell people's stories. I think that is the biggest part of what has brought me to this job and held me here.

The other and equally special ingredient that keeps me is my always-inspiring design and PR partner, Jackie, who helps our work grow, evolve, and succeed every single day. Not only an amazing artist, writer, and fashionista, this magnificent lady is also a true friend. Who could ask for more of an ideal colleague and dream job than that? (And, hey, maybe we would have never met without that wild idea of spa labor compensated in free yoga classes. This is what I mean about life taking you where it needs to.)

And, as for the completely melodramatic impetus behind the book I quoted—a choice confronting dissenters: conformity and the reward of a quiet yet empty life, or an arduous and never-ending swim against the tide, constantly facing pressure to do the opposite. Those who attempt to earn satisfaction through playing by the rules are doomed, while those who question, seek, and trek are rewarded with richness. (In fact, the thesis is a fairly straightforward attack on morals and social respectability, and can be read as more or less advocating vice and crime. Perhaps we just go a little less crazy and reap 'dream the impossible dream.')

This did make me wonder, though, how can a graphic designer go against the flow, to achieve a life of fulfillment? Beware! I plan to use unrestrained amounts of garish fonts, with inordinate and uncontrolled flourishes and serifs. Legibility be damned. And, beware the bold, eye-searing mixes of hues and patterns that will make your heads spin, stripes with plaid with woodgrain with parchment with velveteen, that I shall inflict upon your vision. (A joke.)

But, designer or not, the same as anyone may, I hope to question, seek, and trek—be even more of a traveler, a dreamer, and a do-er like all those cheerily immoral Pilgrims—in practice, in mind, and on paper (well, and on the computer). I have learned a lot about my job by doing things wrong, and then doing them right. Actually, I do kind of like to color outside the lines, literally. Here's to traveling and to swimming, and the happy feeling of a not-so-peaceful lifestyle. Wishing you all an invigorating and prosperous new year brimming with dissension. "This book will make a traveller of thee." Grow, little Paperwhite, grow.

To 2012!
Kristin

Photos by Kristin Carlson. Paperwhite bulb the gift of Jackie and her lovely mom, Ellen.

Fruit!

2012-01-19T14:43:00.000-07:00

Fruit! ...not typically at the forefront of the brain in these short days of winter and cold, but I thought I'd bring a touch of warmth through our screens and into our days from sunny Los Angeles.

photo found at the LA Public Library catalog here

This last weekend found me roadtripping up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) or The One (love that) from Malibu for some camping at Pismo Beach, bike riding in Carpentaria, and inland for our last destination of wine tasting in San Luis Obispo. Along the way we serpentined through small towns and neighborhoods admiring the bustling trees of oranges, lemons, grapefruit and limes.

Biking with Andy along the coastal trail in Carpentaria.

One of our stops (a fortunate find off the freeway for gas fill-up) was in Los Alamos... (with the scrubby pines and cypress trees greeting us, I was fooled for a moment that we had driven through a portal to the Land of Enchantment!) But the towering antique barn that greeted us screamed of California, and the first section found when stepping inside was dedicated to the crisp bright labels of California fruit and veggie crates from years past. Labels dated as far back as 1907!

Los Alamos, CA antique pit stop shop

Our very own original California Fruit Crate Label, dated from 1917!

The gentleman seller was so knowledgeable and helpful, pointing out that his collection held many rare labels in pristine condition, most being found in storage files of the fruit distributors and hadn't seen the light of day for decades. He explained that the most rare labels were the ones with bright red - the red ink is the first to fade over time and in the sun. The graphic quality of that era of design is always a delight to me. Blocked sections of color, no fear of a strong line or large print, not shy to use contrasting palettes.

photo found at the LA Public Library catalog here

Andy and I walked away with no short of seven original fruit and veggie crate labels. His grandparents grew up in what is now Rancho Cucamunga (outside of current LA city limits - once farms and ranch, now subdivisions upon one another), and both families grew oranges for a living. For a future project, we hope to dig up some of the labels from the farms and distributing companies they worked with.

Before finding them in the antique shop, a few weeks ago we stumbled upon an exhibit of these same labels at the Los Angeles Public Library downtown. Such a coincidence to run right into the real thing on an accidental stop in a small town antique shop! You can browse dozens of labels here!

photo found at the LA Public Library catalog here

Beautiful black and white photos of the fruit laborers and packers from the archive are accessible online here. You can even order a photo of any item you find (for a couple bucks) with an online order form - how cool is that?

photo found at the LA Public Library catalog here

Jackie

Texture in Blooms

2012-01-09T12:17:00.003-07:00

Warmed by Kristin's sweet account of her holiday (and her gorgeous photos), I'll try to follow up with an admission of a pattern I've found myself in. While amidst the first-of-the-year-traditional-computer-file-clean-up (such fun!) I have stumbled upon hundreds of photos I've taken over the years dedicated to flowers and plants. I can't seem to keep them alive in real life, or remember to water them (although my air plant seems to be doing ok these days) but my eye is always caught by the simple and complex beauty that nature provides us. From texture of bark, to pops of color against a desert, to perseverance of life through seasons, to the natural composition given in a landscape at the right angle. Love. And so a shower of images titled not with their proper names (if I can barely keep them alive myself, how am I supposed to identify them?), rather they are named from the places where they existed to me. And as such; a journey through nature to a few of the wonderful places that I found myself existing in the past year of 2011...

Kirkwood, CA

Sydney, Australia

New South Wales, Australia

Chicago, IL

Austin, TX

Humboldt, CA

Topanga Canyon, CA

Santa Fe, NM

Bonita, CA

May this new year find us all devouring the natural beauty that surrounds us, and in constant pursuit of seeking it out.

Enjoy!
J

As The Year Comes To A Close

2011-12-27T23:15:00.002-07:00

My first holiday season in Santa Fe, I truly detested the town's revered tradition of walking down Canyon Road on Christmas Eve. Sure, there are the luminarias and bonfires lining the streets, hot apple cider and carolers jaunting around. The entire city is out walking Canyon merry as can be. Still, can you really forget it's freezing cold, pitch dark, ice is leaking into your shoes, and you have been forced to slide perilously through a horrible slush on foot for at least a couple of miles due to the sheer distance of the nearest parking spot? No, you can't.

However, this being my sixth Christmas as a resident, I have to admit that the seemingly infinite arctic trek- more of a pilgrimage, really- has finally grown on me. Year one, I came home frozen and miserable, asking myself, "Was that it?" Year six, I feel a certain something tender and- yes- even warm! about the hundreds of carefully placed brown paper bags filled with sand and burning candles, nestled snugly in the snow atop lumpy adobe walls and precariously along our glacial and perpetually unshoveled sidewalks. I love seeing the town come out en force to the farmer's market in summer; aspen viewing and the torching of Old Man Gloom in the fall; and, I'm finding that this conglomeration of citizens drawn away from their kivas to mob together visiting galleries afterhours in the dead of winter is strange but refreshing, too.

The most magical thing about Christmas Eve, without question and without fail, is that it is inevitably followed by Christmas Morning. This time around, ours was marked by clear blue skies and a perfect crystal glaze of snow and dainty icicles. The scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls (from scratch of course) filled our noses and pepperminty cocktails filled our glasses. Warm thoughts filled my head and my heart, although I'm almost certain my feet were still partially numb from the fabled Christmas Eve walk of the night before.

May the end of this year be happy, and may the warmest of thoughts, memories, and sentiments prevail over even the coldest toes. Wishing you laughter with friends, hugs with family, and the beautiful colors of a thousand tiny lights.

Merry, merry,

Kristin

Champagne on Canyon Road Christmas Eve

Luminarias on Canyon Road Christmas Eve

Tucked into a warm gallery on Canyon Road Christmas Eve

Glorious snowy but sunny Christmas morning

Peppermint cocktails

The tree in lights

Giftwrapping

Holiday baking: homemade cinnamon rolls

The tree in lights

Tired by the fire

Turning in, and a happy holiday to all

Photos by Kristin Carlson.

Invitation Design

2011-12-12T14:42:00.002-07:00

In addition to website design and branding, we also love working with clients on smaller projects like invitations! A round-up of favorites from 2011, here's a quick peek at invitations we've worked on this year - from wedding, to baby, to party, each one has been a blast! (Can you tell?)

One of the cool things about working on a single invite is that, unlike branding and advertising where we really try to keep the longevity of fonts and icons in mind, we can have a lot more flexibility and fun playing with trendy images, funkier fonts, looser sketches and drawings, and really pull the personality of our clients out with bright colors and images.

The most recent project is this invitation by Kristin for a pre-baby shower party for an expecting Mom. Check it out in the Think Design Portfolio >

Kristin used a mix of fun fonts and gender-neutral colors for this baby shower invitation (since the parents don't know the sex of the baby yet!). Check it out in the Think Design Portfolio >

A fun Save the Date for a couple's wedding in Costa Rica. Check it out in the Think Design Portfolio >

And, just in, the corresponding hand-drawn invites for our Costa Rica couple! These are being printed on 100 pound linen paper in natural:

Wedding invitation and other wedding event invites with hand-drawn swirls, vines, and fish by Jackie (the groom is a Fisheries Biologist). The trout took about four goes to get just right! Check it out in the Think Design Portfolio >

A rockin' birthday dinner invitation, featuring a real photo of the birthday girl on electric guitar and some totally jazzy fonts. Check it out in the THINK Design Portfolio >

If you are planning an event and are looking for invitations with a personal touch, drop us a note! We'd love to hear from you and chat about your upcoming event.

Jackie & Kristin

Christmas is (Almost) Here

2011-12-05T13:07:00.001-07:00

I still can't believe it's December; it seems like this year has flown by so fast. Things finally started to feel a little more like the holidays were right around the corner this weekend, though. We decorated our tree, watched the snow fall, went to The Nutcracker at the Lensic, and dressed the dogs in embarrassing Santa outfits. (Yes, we did.)

I've gathered a few 'festive' images to share my recent gearing up for holiday spirits. The first snowfall is the best part of December (and good thing, because it has been snowing steadily here in Santa Fe all weekend and the skies are still white), with unpacking ornaments for the tree a close second. Honestly, I like rediscovering all the baubles and lights one by one better than unwrapping new gifts. Jackalope is my favorite place in town to get decorations for the tree: leaded glass balls, wooden hand-painted figures, pressed tin animals from Mexico. And, I love the winter way the house smells this time of year: like pine, sap, and smoke, with the tree inside and a fire in the fireplace.

What holiday preparations are making you feel like 2012 is almost here?

Jerry sports an embarrassing Santa suit

Janey as Mrs. Claus, oh the humiliation!

Snow flocking trees in our yard

December-y view from the portal

Freshly decorated tree

Leaded glass ornaments, my favorite

If pigs could fly, love this one!

Snow on the Sangre de Cristo mountains, Santa Fe- the view from here.

Snow on junipers

Snow on cholla cactus blossoms

'Tis the season,

Kristin

Photos by Kristin Carlson

Images from a Happy Thanksgiving

2011-12-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

How can you have a vegetarian Thanksgiving? Well, let me show you. Here's a little photo essay of Thanksgiving at my house in Santa Fe. Enjoy! We were so lucky to host 12 wonderful friends for Thanksgiving, and 13 more for Thanksgiving Part Deux. It was a lot of cooking, laughing, eating, and drinking, with gorgeous weather and time outside on the portals and walking the dirt roads in the neighborhood. My husband and I even had time to go cut our Christmas tree over the weekend; it was perfect. I am so grateful for all the wonderful seasonal harvest and bounty that can (surprisingly to some!) be found at our plentiful Santa Fe Farmer's Market and Co-Op. Everything seen here comes from the market, except the citrus. Grapefruits and clementines are my guilty out-of-state pleasure this time of year. There was also a lovely salad of winter greens, and steamed winter green beans, both delicious and eaten too quickly to be photographed.

The view from our house on Thanksgiving day

A good breakfast before the feast

The first, and most eager!, guest

Roasting pumpkins for the pie

Roasting golden beets, chioggia beets, and carrots

Roasting pumpkin seeds with cumin

Roasted golden and chioggia beets with carrots

Red, yellow, and purple potatoes for green chile stew

Apricot cardamom upside-down cake

Pumpkin pie, with triple ginger!

Good old apple pie, my favorite

Lentil soup with bordeaux and wilted kale

Vegetarian chili with fresh cranberries, dried berries, and wild rice

Tunes for the day

Clementines, hooray!

Snack spread, pre-feast

Hot cider with dark rum

Maple whipped sweet potatoes with pecans, and roasted brussels sprouts with bruised fennel seed

Riesling poached pears with berries, figs, and orange zest

The aftermath

Lamy station, the scene of Jackie's arrival after an 18 hour Amtrak marathon

Best of all, I was able to greet Jackie at the charming (really!) old Lamy, NM train station when she arrived on the tracks from Los Angeles Thanksgiving day.

Wishes for a wonderful and happy holiday season filled with family and friends!
Kristin

Photos (and cooking!)* by Kristin Carlson.
*My fabulous husband and our cousin Mike also helped me a lot with making all the food. (And, they snuck in baking a roasted chicken for themselves.)

Cari Campbell & Associates Website 'Facelift'

2011-12-02T13:08:00.001-07:00

The end of the year is a great time to reassess your company's look and branding, and it feels great to launch into the New Year with a fresh face and updated look. We had a wonderful time working with Cari Campbell of Cari Campbell & Associates LLC on a facelift for her company's website. She already had a great logo, and wanted to keep the format of the existing site in WordPress. So, we had a few parameters to work within, which can push us to be problem-solvers and create solutions that are exactly what our clients need. Our tastes in aesthetics and functionality jived right away; Cari was so easy to work with, and loved the first draft we presented!

Cari Campbell & Associates LLC is a grant writing and research firm based in Dubuque, Iowa, with office branches in states around the country: Washington, Florida, and Arizona. They work with large, well-known non-profits nationally. We wanted to keep the site professional, but add some splashes of contemporary color and a touch of modern, youthful design to reflect the energy of this strong and growing young company.

Cari liked the looks of our Cardstacker website and our Content Creative website, both from our website portfolio. Using these designs as inspiration, we added a dark grey background with layered rectangular color blocks appearing in several layout formats throughout Cari's site, such as the header, footer, and in images along the right hand column. The header is a fade transition slideshow, similar to one we built for the beautiful vacation rental Vista del Mar website (also powered by WordPress) last year.

The site is completely editable by Cari and her colleagues, and we think this design adds a bit of fun to life in the professional working world (just like Cari and her team seem to do!) Thanks for working with us, Cari! We look forward to designing with you on new business cards next, and to watching your company continue to grow in success! Kristin is also looking forward to visiting Cari's brand-new office headquarters in Dubuque next week. Rumor has it the accent wall is brightly painted in THINK-esque lime green, hooray!

- Jackie & Kristin

WoW

2011-11-22T11:02:00.003-07:00

One of our longtime clients, Carna Lapping, is so busy we find it very appropriate that her latest project is known as WoW! We've had the wonderful opportunity to work with Carna on projects starting with shirts and poster designs for the ALA Mountain Pacific Region (American Lung Association); when she pursued her own dream as owner of an event planning company Very Important Events; and most recently when she co-created (with Visions of Romance owner and photographer Lacey Yantis) a Seattle bridal showcase event scheduled for July 2012 - WoW or Weddings on the Waterfront. WoW, as in, wow. Talk about one busy lady!

When starting on a big project like WoW (branding, logo, website design), we initiate our brainstorm with sketches and ideas, then compile our favorites into an inspiration sheet for the client to see the basis of our vision. From there, we narrow down and fine tune for the final product. Starting with a bigger picture really helps mold the entire project into one cohesive package.

The branding concepts for WoW were simple. Focus on elegance; highlight the beautiful scenery of the famous Seattle waterfront, the vendors, and venues that are participating in the showcase; and start out with a platform that has room to grow. After sketches of vintage docks, and couples hand in hand, we decided that the simpler the better, and chose to focus instead on fonts to evoke the mood of the waterfront and the event. The font we chose for the final WoW logo is fluid like water without being too obvious or swirly, and we think it will age very well for a long life ahead in waterfront events.

The second part of setting WoW up was to ensure that everyone on the team had access to editing the site on their own. With an event like this, where vendors and advertisers are constantly being added and information being updated, it makes sense to create on a CMS (Content Management System) platform. For this project, we choose WordPress. It's such a powerful tool and increasingly universal tool, and we love being able to provide clients with as much access and hands-on editing as they desire.

The website is simple and clean, allowing space for information and photos to be added as the event nears. After research, we chose to go with a dusky violet for the background of the site to pull out the soft colors in a Seattle sunset on the water. It's a unique palette for a website, and we hope it elicits calm and simplicity when viewers visit (both much-needed feelings when wedding planning!) We wish all the best to Carna and Lacey, and look forward to watching Weddings on the Waterfront grow!

Browse through the WoW designs and more on the THINK portfolio.

Happy Early Thanksgiving!
Jackie

Marigold Inspired Design

2011-11-14T15:15:00.002-07:00

We've been busy bees over here spanning the Southwest with new design projects, and recently coming back to our respective homes after a wonderful (and successful) trip to Chicago for the 2011 SOFA + Intuit art fairs. It was a week filled with art, gooood food, great company, more art, running around, some rain, a ton of architecture, art, and chasing the blues (music). We'll follow up soon with a photo-filled entry on some of our favorite pieces from the shows.

In the meantime, we've had the great joy of working with Cara Sorkin, a fabulous Iyengar yoga instructor in Agoura Hills, California, on her business cards and stationery. Cara found us after she stumbled upon Anneke Faas's Iyengar yoga website that we designed and programmed in the spring. So happy she did!

Cara was looking for a mandala design similar to Anneke's, and told us that she was very fond of marigolds, so we based the center of her branding design around the flower. The deep orange and yellow colors lent themselves beautifully to her energetic and rich personality, and I had a lot of fun hand-drawing marigolds until one was just right to use in the center of the mandala.

Inspiration Package for Initial Design Ideas

Hand Drawn Marigold

Business Card Front and Back Design

Thank you, Cara, it's a pleasure working with you! I hope to visit your studio someday and try one of your classes... And for anyone else who is in the LA area, you can find out more about Cara and her class schedule at www.yogaupstairs.com

Jackie

Californ-eye-ay

2011-08-30T23:20:00.003-06:00

It's not often that you have the opportunity to meet someone who you can work and play well with - I feel very fortunate to have found both a colleague and a good friend in Kristin. Since meeting in the summer of 2006 and working together on various projects since, I've lived in Santa Fe for two years (where Think is based and running smooth as ever thanks to Kristin's diligence and hard work), Austin for three years, and as recent as three weeks ago, Los Angeles.

Welcome to my new LA home.

Technology, relationships, and the way business works these days, I'm even more fortunate to have the opportunity of working remotely. It's really one of those mixed blessings - you have days where you are starving for that work environment community, and others where you really cherish the fact that your time is really that - yours. Thanks to working with Kristin, my recent move (for a boy, yes) has been really so easy to adapt to, knowing that in a city of traffic-moviestars-mountains-beaches-and-angels, I have one constant: work. And I do love to work. Because it is good work, the work that makes people happy and excited and helps them see their dream-project-work come to life with visual storytelling and an actual tangible paper design or business card or invitation. It's creative problem solving everyday, and it's always surrounding me - inspiration for a project in a song, billboard, graffiti, garden, junk mail (no not really, I hate junk mail just like everyone else). And there's nothing like starting fresh in a new environment to kick start the senses and fill in the ruts with new thoughts colors and ideas.

Some palm tree lined streets per Kristin's request.

As any move goes, it's a bit overwhelming as I venture out to my few routes (I'm horrible with directions to begin with, don't even get me started on LA freeways) and then come home safely and as quick as possible with a wave of relief and triumph. I've tried to document a few of my recent visual stimuli (without crashing my car or being looked at as a creeper), and share with you a little bit of California summer sunshine.

Topanga Canyon 6 mile hike at sunset.

Beautiful little desert scrub flowers.

Since attending the University of San Diego, Dr. Seuss-looking trees are always a nod
to my Cali roots (his hometown was La Jolla) and make me feel more at home.

Andy (my reason for moving to LA) and me overlooking the Pacific.

Topanga Canyon mountain shadows, Catalina Island just past the fog.

Little taste of the trendy Sunset Strip.

I do love a good mural.

My favorite building en route to my grocery store.
I swear that's where they filmed Empire Records- anyone?

I love a good flyer, and well-stapled posts.

Love how they word collage-d their storefront window.

This is not me. But believe it or not, this woman was at least 80 years old. No joke.

A bit of a change up from the deep Texas roots of music concerts and dusty town adventures, but of all cities to have the chance to try out for a bit, LA is one of those flavorful life experiences and I mean to make it a full one.

Warm hellos from the sunny west coast!

Jackie

ps - I also blog (and work) with the jewelry design company Awaiting Alice. You can find me and more views of my new California casita here...

Harvest Time

2011-08-30T15:27:00.000-06:00

August is my favorite time to visit the town where I grew up. It's when Iowa is at its most beautiful: tall green corn and soy bean fields, the river and streams full and flowing, mild weather and late-night thunder storms. I also love picking as many meals as possible straight from my mom's and sister's gardens and taking the fresh ingredients directly to the kitchen. Last week during my trip, I think I ate at least four or five perfect red, red tomatoes every day.

This year, among the usual suspects of peppers, green beans, squash, and herbs, my sister also grew a crop of dried beans including these calico and black-and-white beauties. These beans could make anyone want to eat their vegetables; I was fascinated seeing such unexpected colors and patterns in the garden.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and having lived away from Iowa for twelve years I have become pretty fond of its dirt. Here in New Mexico, I can't help but envy the soft black soil and plentiful rain so readily available to make things grow back in the midwest. At my house in Santa Fe, we're proudly nursing along basil, dill, rosemary, thyme, mint, chives, a cherry tomato, and an heirloom tomato all in pots outside the kitchen door. We did have a squash and a cucumber started in the ground out front, but I'm pretty sure the squirrels, rabbits, and dry heat earlier this summer have killed them off. I've left most of the Santa Fe growing to the experts and visit the Farmers Market as many Saturdays as I can. Much as I love Santa Fe and the all-out amazing market, there's still something so satisfying about an Iowa summer day walking through the back door barefoot in the grass and harvesting bags and baskets full of your own food in light rains, pounding sun, or clouds of lightning bugs.

Needless to say, six ten-foot tomato plants thriving in that rich soil produce way more fruit than a family (and their friends, and their neighbors) could ever eat while fresh. My mom and sister have been canning, freezing, saucing, and salsa-ing--as well as weeding--their way through the summer months. However, despite all this delicious bounty, my sister's husband has asked me to ship some fresh Hatch green chiles from New Mexico to Iowa. No matter where you live and grow your garden, I guess it's never easy to have it all! Any ideas on how best to send non-roasted chiles without them getting moldy are totally welcome.

If you want to get your hands on some of those gorgeously patterned beans for yourself, my sister gets her heirloom organic bean, tomato, and other seeds at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. President Obama gave a Town Hall Meeting at Seed Savers on August 15!

-Kristin

Welcome ARCOS Dance

2011-08-30T08:04:00.006-06:00

Experienced choreographers, instructors, and artistic directors Curtis Uhlemann and Erica Gionfriddo have launched a brand new contemporary dance company in Santa Fe this summer. Working on the business cards, blog, and writing and design of the first press release for ARCOS Dance has been a lot of fun. With my very first job out of college being marketing and PR at Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation in New York City, dance holds a special place in my heart and I couldn't be happier to support this fabulous new company.

For the business card design, we started with the ARCOS Renaissance-inspired font and placed the signature 'A' alone on a vertical black card for an edgy, contemporary feel with a strong graphic presence. Jackie then added some distressing and scratches in the background of the card, and the coordinating stationery, to play off the lines found in the logo font as well as to reference the idea of movement and motion inherent to dance. Printing with spot-gloss on the 'A' only, the logo stands out subtle and sharp. For the back of the card, we continued the black, gray, and pale blue color scheme found on the company's website and dramatic photos by Kate Russell, tying all their new materials together.

Be sure to check out our press release (excerpt below) and learn more about this awesome new dance company in Santa Fe! We're looking forward to their first performance in October. Learn more at www.arcosdance.com.

-Kristin

SOFA WEST Santa Fe 2011: It's A Wrap!

2011-08-29T19:55:00.000-06:00

We had a great time once again working on PR for SOFA (Sculpture Objects and Functional Art Fair). The fair's most recent edition, SOFA WEST, took place this month in Santa Fe. After working PR for the longstanding New York and Chicago renditions of the show, it was heartening to see the strength and growth of the Santa Fe fair which is now in its third year. There was an exciting mix of new and returning dealers, including beautiful ceramics and wood sculptures from new participant Flow Gallery of London. Opening Night Preview and special events throughout the weekend were also well-attended, and it was wonderful as always to speak with the dealers and artists to get their feedback about the fair for our Wrap Report (excerpt below). Read the whole report on the SOFA website: Click here!

Working with writer Barbara Smythe-Jones on press releases for the fair, it was a pleasure to assist journalists with their coverage and interview requests. The supplement catalog produced by The Santa Fe New Mexican was particularly stunning. Thanks to all for the great interest in SOFA throughout newspapers, magazines, radio, video, and blogs alike. Stay tuned as we post coverage clippings to the SOFA and THINK websites. See some select coverage in the SOFA Press Room, on the tab '2011 Coverage' (click here). And, have a look at our wall of press coverage achieved, which we had posted floor to ceiling in the fair office during the show run and photographed for our Facebook page (click here).

Looking forward to the next SOFA fair already; Chicago here we come!

-Kristin and Jackie

New Eyes to See: Reprise

2011-08-27T10:22:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I wrote about seeing where I live again as if for the first time while our friends visited from Paris (click here to see previous post). I included some gorgeous photos taken by my friends Thibault and Morgane during their trip, as seen through their eyes. Today I wanted to add a few images of my own. So, now adding my perspective, here's to seeing things anew in Santa Fe!

"Discovery lies not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes to see."
-Marcel Proust*

*This was the chosen motto at W Architecture, where I worked in New York City 6 years ago. I've always loved that quote, and this past weekend I could only see how true it is.

Happy, happy.
-Kristin

Wide Open Spaces

2011-08-26T12:14:00.004-06:00

Last weekend our friends Thibault and Morgane paid us a visit at home in New Mexico. Coming from the hustle and bustle of Paris, they were amazed to see the truly limitless expanses of open landscape around Santa Fe. On our drive home from the airport, we took the backroads from Albuquerque to Santa Fe through Madrid. Riding quietly along and chatting here and there for quite some time, Thibault suddenly realized, "We haven't seen another car for like an hour." My husband and I laughed, "Yeah, I guess you're right. That's pretty typical." Our friends were amazed.

Morgane wanted to pull over so they could lay in the middle of the road for a photo: The American West, a long empty trail stretching for miles through the desert off into the mountains without another car, house, or person in sight. They created some perfect pictures laying beside and holding hands across the yellow center line. It was a pretty powerful and surreal idea, so why had I never thought of doing that or anything remotely like it?

I moved here from Manhattan almost six years ago, and seeing my friends marvel at the land, I remembered feeling like that too. Sometimes it can create the most wonderful moment to have a new set of eyes taking in your daily life and surroundings, making you see things fresh, and appreciating what now seems mundane all over again. Our whole weekend together was like that, seeing everything again for the first time. It made me very happy.

When we arrived at our house initially, Morgane fell in love with what we learned are our very American-looking mismatched dining room chairs (many cheap and free Craigslist finds that we've never taken much notice of). She was particularly taken with a large red ladder back. "You would never find this in France. You are so lucky to have such a beautiful chair," she told us earnestly. In fact, the red chair joined us specially for more Parisian-requested Western photos next morning at the Lamy train stop. Thibault and Morgane happily photographed us on the empty train tracks which go on infinite and uninterrupted through the sagebrush, then created a cameo shoot for the red chair itself on a stretch of unpopulated road near the station.

On their last day, we packed a picnic and drove into the Pecos Wilderness for a hike. The walk ended in one of our favorite mountaintop meadows, a place we like to visit on the weekends, and where of course there are also no people. We were surrounded by peaks on all sides and the air around us was perfectly silent, as is often the case. Our friends ran and rolled through the grass, thrilled at the emptiness and the view, and took a full-circle 360 video clip to prove that the all-encompassing wilderness and quiet had truly been a real experience: "This is crazy, there is no building, no cell phone tower, no road, nothing. Wow." I laid in the grass, too, and breathed in the quiet air and sunshine. They were totally right. Wow.

Photos in this post by Morgane Sezalory and Bryan Berg.

-Kristin

Summer Yoga Website + Logo Design

2011-06-07T09:25:00.003-06:00

This summer we had the pleasure of working with Albuquerque-based Iyengar Yoga Instructor Anneke Faas, on her branding, website and marketing materials. Brightened earth tones—greens, yellows, and rust—embody Anneke’s energizing and grounded practice.

We wanted her branding to feel mature and clean, but still fresh and attractive to a younger audience. We chose a hand drawn mandala image set behind a graphic monotone image of Anneke in a yoga pose for her main icon.

The mandala’s gradient adds depth and a bit of texture, without overcomplicating the design, and the image of Anneke in a pose creates an immediate recognition of what this business is about, without shouting.

Such a fun summer project, and an equally fun (and sweet) client to work with! Check out her new website here: www.annekefaas.com.

-Jackie

Brunch report: Jane Sauer + Cindy Hickok

2011-05-31T08:02:00.005-06:00

The first ever brunch-and-learn hosted by the New Mexico Committee of theNational Museum of Women in the Arts convened at La Posada last Saturday. It was an intimate gathering of mostly women and a few men, with strawberry puree, eggs florentine, and fresh fruit served in the stately old hotel.

Jane Sauer, well-known for her community involvement in Santa Fe, spoke about the shift in her career path from studio artist to gallery owner. “It’s embarrassing how much no one needs art,” she joked. “But, all cultures throughout time, no matter how poor, have made art and embellished their homes and their lives. It’s my job to convince people that they must love and want and need these objects, and I just love it. Even though no one really ‘needs’ it, what is preserved over time and handed down through cultures in history? It’s always the arts.”

Jane Sauer Gallery on Canyon Road holds a wide range of price points and types of items, with a staff emphasis on accessibility and education for patrons- an unintimidating atmosphere for both first-time buyers and seasoned collectors. “My focus is on being a part of the community and developing artists’ careers,” said Jane.

'Waiting' by Cindy Hickok

One such artist is Cindy Hickok (Houston, TX). Cindy talked on her creative process, and inspirations for her humorous ‘thread in needle, tongue in cheek’ creations. “I like to capitalize on frustrations in the subject matter for my artwork,” said Cindy. One example of this strategy is a Mona Lisa composition, in which only the top of Mona Lisa’s head can be seen over the crowd at the Louvre, a real-life experience for Cindy’s first trip to the museum in France. Or, in ‘Her Mother Told Her To Eat a Balanced Meal,’ a daughter has interpreted her mother’s rule to mean equally large sized hamburgers and slices of cake, balancing toppling portions on a huge platter in each hand. ‘The Daily Diet’ series piece ‘Sardines’ calls to mind being the guy who gets the middle seat on a plane.

“My mentor told me, and I really believe this, ‘Do images that mean things to you.’ For me, that’s food and famous paintings,” said Cindy. Many of her images incorporate well-known figures, faces, and scenes from art history in present-day (often frustrating) situations such as Botticelli’s Venus on a cell phone, positioned near Van Gogh and his severed ear on the dial pad. Works also feature subjects like the American Gothic couple mixing and mingling at tea or brunch, or Toulouse-Lautrec’s girls languishing in a waiting room with figures and foods derived from other paintings.

Cindy incorporates 3-5 values of each color wherever it’s used. She embroiders onto water soluble fabric, which she dissolves after completing a project so that in the finished works, only thread remains. Although her method is delicate, intricate, and tiny, Cindy advised, “Don’t worry a piece. Always enjoy what you do.” She keeps her whole color palette of threads on a wall in her studio, so she has her tools and her inspiration in front of her at all times.

I was intrigued to learn that, like me, Cindy is from a small town in Iowa, and actually attended Iowa State University–the same undergraduate school as my husband. She has gone on to travel and live around the world, and has artwork in museums including The Met. Her piece ‘See the USA,’ a recycled toy car covered in a garment of embroidered scenes spanning America to San Francisco, was used as the invitation and signage image for Pfaff Art Embroidery’s ‘Let Us Travel’ machine stitchery exhibition in Paris and London 2009-2010. Recently returned from its time abroad, the car was passed around the room for everyone to see at Saturday’s brunch.

Cindy Hickok is represented exclusively by Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe.

-Kristin

The Art of the Pot

2011-05-27T10:13:00.006-06:00

This past sunny and bright Mother’s Day weekend, my friend Laura and I had the pleasure of attending The Art of the Pot, a contemporary ceramics studio tour hosted in several houses throughout Austin. I was drawn to the show thanks in part due to the announcements on NPR, and solidified by artist Molly Hatch‘s personal invitation. Molly’s beautiful ceramic work is skyrocketing into the design world, and I was delighted to meet her during our PR work at the SOFA NEW YORK 2011 art fair in April. At SOFA, Molly was represented by Ferrin Gallery of Massachusetts in a brilliant display The Pursuit of Porcelain. The exhibit pitted classical porcelain display with modern twists, within the original pieces (ie: Molly’s porcelain extra large flasks, sculptor Christa Assad, and painter Jessica Hess collaborated in creating porcelain spray paint cans (they looked legit!) with beautiful graffiti designs).

The Art of the Pot was a pleasant surprise, much like a mellow EAST Austin Studio Tour without the hula hoops and experimental music (wait don’t get me wrong, I looove EAST…and hula hooping). An annual weekend event, Art of the Pot is generally hosted in several homes throughout the city by a featured local artist showcasing 20 or so local and visiting artists. Molly was being hosted by ceramicist Keith Kreeger, owner of Kreeger Pottery– a wonderful addition to the growing family of Austin artists! Keith’s and Molly’s works were displayed on clean shelves and tables, playing off one another–softly feminine vs. clean modern. Keith’s work is “contemporary utilitarian” and I was especially drawn to his simple skylines (emphasis on the lines – beautiful and stark, they abstractly call a specific city skyline to mind).

I couldn’t leave with an entirely new kitchen set, but I also couldn’t leave empty handed. I was smitten with a sweet tea–or in my case, mostly coffee–cup by Ms. Hatch. Her pink flowers overlapping on all sides of the cup (even the bottom!) make my morning coffee immensely more exciting.

Literally the view from my desk this morning.

Morning coffee amidst sketches and notes: typical.

I also walked out with this lovely Poppies poster, courtesy of the artist. Thanks, Molly!

Everlasting flowers I can count on not to shrivel up and die in the Texas heat.

If you find yourself in Austin around Mother’s Day next year, be sure to check out this show. It’s growing, as is the studio ceramics field. Objects are very affordable, and there is definitely something special about eating your daily meals off handmade local dishware. I think this movement is just gaining momentum and look forward to collecting more pieces for my cabinet and kitchen table!

-Jackie

Women in the Arts brunch this Saturday

2011-05-20T09:12:00.001-06:00

The New Mexico Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts is hosting a brunch tomorrow in Santa Fe at La Posada, 11:30am-1:30pm. Make your reservations through the Lensic box office: 505-988-1234. I’m looking forward to hearing local gallery owner Jane Sauer and fiber artist Cindy Hickok speak about their work, a yummy brunch, and my husband joining me as my plus-one!

'Waiting' by Cindy Hickok, Jane Sauer Gallery (Santa Fe, NM)

Jane is also a brilliant participant in the SOFA Sculpture Object and Functional Art fairs in New York, Chicago, and Santa Fe. Doing PR for SOFA, I just saw Jane in New York in April- where she had a great fair as always- and am currently working on promoting some of the art she is bringing to the Santa Fe fair August 4-7 at the Santa Fe Convention Center. Don’t miss it.

-Kristin

Weekend in the Woods

2011-05-09T07:09:00.005-06:00

Spending an entire day outside in the woods with my husband and dogs (and no other people in sight) is the thing that makes me feel like I’ve had my weekend. This Saturday I was lucky to have one of my much-craved perfect days in the forest. We walked in the mountains of Pecos, New Mexico—as we love to do—for hours and hours. After that much fresh air and solitude, I feel completely exhausted and recharged at the same time.

I spent a good portion of the day laying on a rock and listening to the water, staring up at a bright blue sky bordered by trees and broken by an occasional raven swinging in the wind. This, I think, is where I get my biggest doses of refreshment, sanity, and inspiration: the arrangement of tree bark, leaves, and twigs; the sound of air in pine needles and dry grass, and a cold stream over stones; the smell of sun on dry dirt and flowers about to bloom. Signs of spring are starting to show. We were surprised how hot the sun was for such an early date in May, and watched the warm afternoon light hitting the bare white trunks of the aspen groves and filtering through evergreens. The snow had melted near the stream we were following, although the water was still ice-cold. Little green buds showed on most of the rose bushes, and leaves of irises poked up in clumps all over the meadows. Red willow branches crisscrossed down the edge of the creek. Spring is on the way.

Here are a few pictures from the day. From a design perspective, I sought out these images with unexpected patterns, light, and shadow in mind. Undoubtedly, the scene will change dramatically every week or two throughout the summer. I’m anticipating using these ideas of lines and movement in some of our upcoming projects. Or, maybe I should get going on my New Year’s goal (5 months later) of keeping up a better sketchbook.

To spring!
-Kristin

Vivid patterns, a Zambian street market

2011-05-06T16:45:00.001-06:00

I spent the month of March in southern Africa, lured by a work project in Johannesburg and staying on to experience Cape Town, Botswana, and Zambia. Every corner of the world offers its own special treasures to visitors. To me, Africa gave colors: rich swaths of sky at sunrise, noon, or midnight; brilliantly striped and spotted animals; dense lush foliage topped with a rainbow of flowers and birds; carved wooden bowls and masks revealing the rings and swirls of trees that once were- and the fabrics.

Walking through villages, waiting for the ferry at border crossings, and shopping at the market, I couldn't help but marvel at the local women's skirts: 2 yards of fabric pulled around the waist, rolled and turned down on top, in the most amazing combinations of stripes, blocks, and abstractions. Needless to say, the dearest items I managed to cram into my overstuffed and tiny carry-on suitcase were 8 yards of gorgeous patterned goodness.

My lovely fabrics at their new home in the desert. I am obsessed with the bright orange in both of them. It's perfect and bold without being overwhelming.

Many fantastic skirts were sighted at the market my mom, husband, wonderful friend (for 12 years now!) Akiko, and I visited in Zambia, welcome shocks of color among the brownish-gray of wooden and tarp stalls, chickens, peanuts, and potatoes.

At the local pharmacy, the healer shared some of her recipes for cures via roots and barks with us, wearing both a colorful head scarf and skirt.

On our last day, we visited a small village and met these women and their beautiful skirts on the path, carrying water.

With sun and brightness,
Kristin

New York in Spring: Photos from SOFA NEW YORK 2011

2011-04-28T13:20:00.003-06:00

THINK has finally joined Facebook. Our first post on the site is a group of photos from our April work and play in Manhattan during SOFA NEW YORK 2011. Please visit us on Facebook, and enjoy our first photo album while you're there. Happy spring!

Vintage Dishes at JUNK

2011-04-28T08:43:00.001-06:00

Regardless of what city we find ourselves in together, Kristin and I always magnetize towards junk- ahem- thrift, or the overused word of the year, *vintage (which I lovelove). Our recent trip to Brooklyn literally took us to junk, or JUNK.

In company of our talented musician friend Margo Valiente, we browsed, lifted and poked around, shuffled and ooo'd and ahh'd until we found the right pieces. Of course I would have loved to take home some of the more elaborate things, like the old oil drums (como the one's in Andice from this post) or this amazing (but teeny) chair/cabinet; but as we were flying and my bag was already bursting, I opted for the much lighter approach and took to the bucket of *vintage postcards and photos (60 cents a pop!).

We moseyed on to the dishware section/stockyard of stacked porcelain china and glass, and I snapped a few of these visuals for future design inspiration. I love the different repetitive pattern use, and array of colors present in a set.

Kristin scored the winner of the day, with an outrageously appropriate dish set scene. Being the cute blonde Iowan she is, and her husband the same (although substitute cute for tall), and with impeccable timing of her landmark (literally) groundbreaking for their new home (yay!) in the foothills of Santa Fe taking place just this week (after three and a half years!), these plates were too good to let pass by.

Congrats to Kristin and Bryan! Such a momentous occasion to build your own home, and together! We look forward to watching the house construct, and know it will be home to so much creativity.

Happy digging (for treasures and in K+B's case, the foundation!)

Think PR Portfolio Launch

2011-04-28T08:29:00.008-06:00

After the recent success of the SOFA NEW YORK 2011 art fair, where we worked PR on-site in April, we are excited to share our newly expanded online THINK PR Portfolio! We have included details on some of our recent major Public Relations projects with images, press results, links and the scoop on our role during these fantastic events. Visit us at www.thinkcreativeconsulting.com/pr.html and click on the link View PR Portfolio to find out more.

As always, thank you to our wonderful clients for making our work so enjoyable!

- K and J

Spring in the City

2011-04-22T15:47:00.001-06:00

Kristin and I had the most wonderful opportunity to work with The Art Fair Company, Marilyn White Public Relations, and Barbara Smythe-Jones on last week's SOFA NEW YORK art expo. The week was filled with art, outfits, galleries, designers, and the wonderful people mentioned above. The show was hosted in the Park Avenue Armory building, which holds its own magnificent history (built in 1861 as a military facility and a social club). Details like the permanently stopped Tiffany and Co. clock on the massively tall back wall greeted us each day as we prepared for the show.

The New York weather was certainly different from either Kristin's Santa Fe windy dry spring, or my Austin 85 degree + humidity spring... totally spoiled, we endured the rain and wind and cold (50's yeah, I know we are wimps). But in honor of Earth Day, and to properly represent our fantastic trip, I end this note with images of a few of the thousands of blooming yellow daffodils, cherry blossom trees, and boundless colors of tulips that are gracing the city tree boxes and parks this week.

Happy Earth Day!

Jackie

Think Road Trip : Andice, TX

2011-04-08T10:35:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I took a drive to escape the Austin city life about an hour north on the 183, to this dusty old town of Andice. I had torn out an Austin Chronicle write up about Andice over 6 months ago (read it here), and it had been sitting on our fridge, getting yellowed and ignored for other fantastic adventures. The article claimed that the Andice General Store, the only place left in the town (I checked, and that's true), served Texas' finest cheeseburgers. And that it was worth the drive just for lunch. So we went.

There is nothing much in Andice - or around Andice. It's populated by the Baptist church (an old one-room white washed wooden steeple), the cemetery (about an acre square plot with one ancient Live Oak tree), and the Andice General Store ("a great place").

Inside the General Store I found a surplus of rusty signs, gas cans, an old "Guess Your Weight" machine (that took our nickel), and a true soda fountain. Love the vibe of the old fonts with the natural aging tin.

And the cheeseburger was totally worth the trip.

Happy Travels!
J

Thinking Hats

2011-04-01T14:57:00.001-06:00

Maybe it's the overall simple design + painterly feel or maybe it's my Mad Men queue, but something has me seriously attracted to old shop signs lately. When visiting Santa Fe in February, I noticed this incredible Galisteo Hats sign peeking out from under the shade. Perhaps it's the nostalgia for that era when hats were in place of our current day sunglasses, but this ad alone makes me want to walk in and have a gentleman fit my head with a perfect hat made just for me.

Last weekend on a road trip out to the Texas hill country to see Todd Snider play at the famous Gruene Hall (oldest dance hall in Texas!), I had to pull over when I spotted this terrific ad painted on the side of a now closed up Hat Shop. It seems the building has been abandoned for some time, but the ad still looks great, and greets you as you turn the corner towards the historic town of New Braunfels from Gruene. That twinge of nostalgia hits pretty hard when visiting these old towns that now have more than half their main square empty with For Sale signs in the windows.

Hat's off to the weekend!

Jackie

Cardstacker Website Launch

2011-03-29T16:34:00.007-06:00

A big congratulations to the Cardstacker, who is currently in South Africa working on a project for the Silverstar Casino. 2011 has already been a big year for Bryan Berg, who worked so hard with us over the last few months to revamp the Cardstacker website!

The new website has a new Video Page dedicated to key events Bryan has participated in during his 20 year career as the one and only Cardstacker. The new site also features an instructional section teaching inspired Cardstackers how to build a dome out of cards, a photo gallery celebrating his 20 Years of Stacking, an online store where you can purchase a signed copy of Bryan's book 'Stacking the Deck,' as well as many photos of projects previously unreleased to the public.

A very big project for both parties, and a huge thank you to everyone involved!

-Jackie

Music Thoughts #2

2011-03-15T15:54:00.000-06:00

SXSW. Sure everyone is tired of it, so I'll make it brief. It was wonderful, loud, crowded, hot, windy, lovely, exciting, and exhausting. My neighborhood had quite a bit of traffic, encouraging nothing but travel by foot or bike. I made the mistake to use my car earlier in the week, and ended up having to park over 6 blocks away thanks to the crowds lining up for shows at the French Legation Museum. (which, for future reference, all shows there and at the Central Presbyterian Church are always fantastic and worth the gamble)

View from my East Austin front porch:

A handful of my favorite artists that I had the chance to see during the week of music bonanza:

- Typhoon
- Sharon Van Etton
- Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears
- Sally Ford
- Portugal, The Man
- Alessi's Arc
- !!! Chk Chk Chk
- James Blake
- Noah and the Whale
- Man Man
- Haley Bonar

Typhoon on NPR's Tiny Desk Series:

Happy Listening!
Jackie

Music Thoughts #1

2011-03-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Dear all my good-loving music friends: Just an announcement that this is one of the better albums I've heard all year, and it just came out this month. I have had it on repeat all day, listening for free through GrooveShark (you don't even need to make a profile if you don't want, and it's awesome in case you were concerned. Just type in any artist name you want and it's like your own personal radio station with entire albums for free listening on demand).

Wailin' Jenny's : Bright Morning Stars

My favorite song paired with morning coffee:

Happy listening!
Jackie

Artist Jennifer Day Website Launch

2011-02-16T15:44:00.002-07:00

We are proud to showcase the recent website launch of artist, photographer, and interior designer, Jennifer Day. Kristin has been working with Jennifer since last year (read about branding package post here); developing everything from letterhead to custom metal signage for Jennifer's forthcoming studio.

With a multitude of talents, we think her new site properly allows viewers to navigate through her portfolio with ease, showcasing her works in all mediums. It's been a pleasure to work so closely with her beautiful images! View site here.

- K and J

Very Important Events Marketing Materials

2011-02-15T15:24:00.001-07:00

For me, one of the most rewarding parts of our job is when we get to see all the miscellaneous pieces of a project come together as a unit - and it looks good! All the hard work finally peaks in a nice "Aha!" moment when we can appreciate the unity of the little things (like a business card or poster), combined with the more largescale projects (like new website or logo construction).

One of these projects has been the rebranding of the Seattle-based event company Very Important Events. In our previous posts, we shared the new logo (here) and then the website updates (here), and now we share the last little piece: the marketing materials. Business cards and compliment cards - it's the littlest things that can often hold the most importance.

Business cards:

Compliment cards:

Thank you, Carna, for working with us on this major overhaul! We are excited to watch the growth of VIE in the upcoming years.

-Jackie

Nightcap #13: The Secret of Kells

2011-02-11T19:04:00.001-07:00

I watched this beautifully illustrated film, The Secret of Kells, this week (love animated kids movies once in a while!) and was totally entranced by the rich, textural, multi-media illustrations. The film is a colorful combination of hand-drawn elements, collage, and digital work. The style of the artwork reflects the plotline: creation of an ancient and renowned Celtic illuminated manuscript. It made me want to draw, cut paper, and break out the watercolors. It also helped refresh one of our goals for this year, to include hand-drawn elements and alternative materials in our projects when the opportunity presents iteself.

I visited Japan for the first time last spring, where I was so impressed by the aesthetic of absolutely everything I saw, and although the film was obviously exploring Celtic patterns and shapes, the look also kept calling to mind traditional Japanese woodblock prints and contemporary Japanese anime. Nominated for a 2010 Academy Award, I'd suggest this little gem as a visual treat if you're in the mood for some eye candy.

Here are a few of my favorite screen shots of the film, from The Secret of Kells movie website gallery:

Happy watching, and happy drawing!

kristin

Very Important Events Website Re-fresh

2011-02-02T15:07:00.002-07:00

Once the new logo launched for the Seattle based Very Important Events (read logo post here), we had the very fun project of updating the website and incorporating the new branding with the current design.

Final result: a fresh, contemporary, colorful, professional package. Also representative of VIE owner Carna Lapping.

Snippet views of re-freshed VIE website: (visit here)

Customized VIE Twitter page:

Customized VIE Blog:

- Jackie

Julia Westerbeke and Emily Weiner at "Re-turn" Barnard Alumnae Exhibition

2011-01-29T12:50:00.010-07:00

Congratulations to my wonderful friends and fellow alumnae Julia Westerbeke and Emily Weiner, showing work in "Re-turn."

Julia will present semi-abstract sculptures which she refers to as "alien organic," composed of minute repetitive geometries. Emily's recent paintings explore abstraction, illustrating a step-by-step process of distorting the female figure in a diagrammatic yet romantic way.

Opening reception Thursday, February 10, 7-9pm
Louise McCagg Gallery Diana Center for the Arts 4th Floor
Barnard Campus, Columbia University, New York City
Read the Diana Center Press Release

Julia Westerbeke, "The Deluge," 2010. de Young Museum.

Lighting, white plastic; paint chips; Friendly Plastic; ink on paper, ink on acetate

Emily Weiner, "Untitled," 2010. School of Visual Arts/MFA studios.

Oil on canvas.

Visit the websites of these talented ladies to see more.
(And continued thanks, Julia, as always for entrusting us with designing and updating your website!)
www.juliawesterbeke.com
www.emilyweiner.net

Kristin

Nightcap #12: Vintage photo of my grandpa

2011-01-28T07:30:00.001-07:00

Helping my grandma clean her house last weekend, organizing old boxes of photos being the big project, my mom came across this photo of my grandpa Ray in his navy uniform - probably taken around 1943. Isn't he handsome? "Just like a movie star," according to mom. She sent me this copy, and is looking into good places to get matte reprints of the old photos so that we can distribute this and other keepers to several members of the family. Love to hear suggestions of where to get good old fashioned non-gloss prints (and where ideally they will do all the scanning and etc. for us, too, at a good price). Old photo paper has such a wonderful quality and look to it. And it's thicker and almost soft. I miss it!

On the note of tactile things which are inspiring to me in terms of design, this was definitely my pick-me-up this week, a bright spot amongst an unusually heavy workload of digital image sorting, editing, and cropping which will continue throughout today. Thanks, gramps.

k

Nightcap #11: Big new painting in our office!

2011-01-21T11:37:00.001-07:00

A recent work by our very talented THINK programmer/designer Jackie McCormick is being installed in our office today! It's very big. We like it.
Not only does this smart lady know her way around Vector files and font books; she can also handle a paintbrush. Enjoy! (We are.) Thanks for brightening up the office, Jackie!
k and j

SOFA NEW YORK 2011: First press release, released!

2011-01-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

The first press release for SOFA NEW YORK 2011 has been released! Join us April 14-17, opening night preview April 13, at the Park Avenue Armory.

Coordinating public relations for this fair is such a treat, learning about new artists, new work, and new galleries almost constantly. There is a lot of exciting wood, ceramic, metal, and jewelry work coming from London dealers this spring, including Sarah Myerscough, Joanna Bird, and Adrian Sasson. I personally am really thrilled to be keeping watch on the jewelry coming in for the catalog and press images. Gallery S O, also from London, is bringing some great cutting-edge rings and neckpieces by several artists who will be showing jewelry at MAD (Museum of Arts and Design) in NYC this season as well.

Image: Jim Partridge, "Faceted Red Bowl (Hollow faceted chunk, red interior)."

2003. Scorched burr oak. Sarah Myerscough Fine Art, London, UK.

Read on for more details:
SOFA NEW YORK 2011 General Release

Check out some of the artwork submitted so far:
Press photos so far

And, sign up for the SOFA email list to stay tuned:
Join the email list (scroll all the way to the bottom of the Contact page linked here)

Hope to see you in New York!
Kristin

Nightcap #10: Rings and things

2011-01-14T11:51:00.001-07:00

We've started our work on PR coordination for SOFA NYC Sculpture Objects and Functional Art Fair, taking place at Park Avenue Armory April 14-17 (opening night April 13). What does this mean for inspiration this week? Well, we've gotten to look through all sorts of incredible pictures coming in from the dealers for one. It hardly feels like work! Here's a favorite, a ring by Bernhard Schobinger of Gallery S O, London (first-time SOFA NYC exhibitor).

My wonderful husband got me a metalsmithing class for Christmas, and I am looking forward to trying to set some of the sea glass I found on the beach in Greece last fall, so this cool ring was very inspiring to me indeed.

Check out www.sofaexpo.com to learn more about the show.

Happy Friday,
k

Bernhard Schobinger, Ring mit Halbkugeln, 2005
Gold, rose quarz, pearl, diamond-split in bronze, malachite enamel.

New logo for Very Important Events

2011-01-13T16:58:00.002-07:00

Announcing our new logo for Very Important Events! Our re-branding package for this Seattle event planning company makes a subtle play on the business's acronym, VIE, and the French word "vie," for life. Below you'll find an inspiration sheet of vintage French labels compiled by the lovely Miss Jackie McCormick, which we used as our influence in choosing the styles of fonts for this logo. Enjoy, and more of our branding package for VIE on the way soon.

-K and J

Business card design for artist Fenner Ball

2011-01-10T14:23:00.002-07:00

A new business card design to coordinate with our recent custom design for Santa Fe artist Fenner Ball's SmugMug website. Using a beautiful example of Fenner's landscape painting to fill the front of the card, we floated a diaphanous band with the artist's name over the pink sunset sky and clouds. On the card back, we introduced the chocolate brown color scheme found in our website design for the artist, and featured three small versions of his landscape and railroad images. The images are also arranged to reflect the grid-based gallery format on Fenner's website for a clean, cohesive package of both elements.

-KC

Pizza Centro Banner and Logo

2011-01-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

If you live in the Santa Fe area and like pizza, chances are you've tasted the New York Style slices at Pizza Centro. Owner Nathan Aufrichtig worked with us in developing the logo for both locations; at the Santa Fe Design Center and the Eldorado Agora Center.

Grab a slice (or a pie)! Kristin's suggestion (for the vegetarians) is the Alphabet City specialty pie: flash-fried eggplant, mushroom, fresh spinach, artichoke hearts, sundried tomato, garlic, roasted red pepper, balsamic glaze, marinara, and whole milk mozzarella. And for all you meat lovers, go for the Chelsea: sausage, housemade meatballs, bacon, onion, green pepper, marinara, and whole milk mozzarella. mmm!

- Jackie

Nightcap #9: Bottlecap art

2011-01-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

El Anatsui 2008, "Rain Has No Father?" Found bottle tops with copper wire

I spotted this amazing undulating fabric-like sculpture by Nigerian artist El Anatsui in The Denver Art Museum's African collection. This work may look soft and flowing, but is made out of thousands of metal liquor bottle caps flattened and stitched together. The artist's statement indicates an intent to subvert the stereotype of metal as a stiff, rigid medium and show it as a "soft, pliable almost sensuous material" that can lend itself to large scale site-specific installation.

Considering ways in which we can re-present, creatively utilize, and push the capabilities of a material, tool, or even a piece of software is a valuable exercise for almost every artist or designer, and something we at THINK are trying to focus on in our own work for the new year.

On a side note, we are really looking forward to seeing more African art in person with Museum of Art and Design's "Global Africa Project" when we're next in New York City, working PR for SOFA 2011 in April.

Counter Culture Grunge T-shirt

2011-01-05T14:33:00.001-07:00

We have had the pleasure of working with the team of brothers Nathan and Jason Aufrichtig, owners of Santa Fe's delicious Pizza Centro and Counter Culture Cafe.

Our recent project has been to create a new shirt design for Counter Culture, using their metal restaurant sign as inspiration. We grunged it up and decomposed it a little bit and viola!, a t-shirt was born.

- K and J

Nightcap #8: Happy New Year! Champagne ginger cocktail

2010-12-31T13:31:00.000-07:00

Tried and loved from the Martha Stewart website, here's my 2010 New Year's Eve cocktail of choice. Champagne and ginger, what's not inspiring about that?

Happy New Year!
kc

MARTHA STEWART'S CHAMPAGNE SPARKLER
Thanks to Martha herself for the wonderful recipe and picture!

Cocktail photo from MarthaStewart.com

INGREDIENTS
• 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 bottle (750 ml) dry sparkling wine (Cava, Prosecco, Champagne)

DIRECTIONS
• Set a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan, boil ginger, sugar, and 1/4 cup water until syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour through sieve into bowl, discarding solids. (To store syrup, refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 1 week.)
• Pour 1 tablespoon syrup into each of 8 tall glasses. Top with sparkling wine, and gently stir.

*Kristin's finishing touch, which you'll well deserve if you're been THINK-ing all day like we have: Add crushed candied ginger on the rim of the glass, and a few chopped cubes of candied ginger in the bottom of the glass. If I'm feeling fancy, I might also add a mint leaf as garnish.*

Nightcap #7: Vintage Italian glass ornaments

2010-12-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a happy holiday season! Today's eye candy: vintage Italian blown glass Christmas ornaments spotted at friends' holiday party, on an 8 foot silver pom-pom tree. Look closely and you will see the figure is a little Alice in Wonderland.

k

Custom SmugMug website for artist Fenner Ball

2010-12-22T07:46:00.001-07:00

Using SmugMug as our programming tool, we created this fully customized website which allows Santa Fe oil painter Fenner Ball to add, delete, and update all of his own artwork. The dark brown background and subtle brown type compliment his paintings without distracting viewers from appreciating the work. See Fenner's Santa Fe landscape and railroad paintings first-hand on his new website at: www.charlesfennerball.com

-K & J

Nightcap #6: Winter wonderland! Big snow in the desert.

2010-12-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

Inspired today by the wispy clouds and cottony sky of Santa Fe's first big snow of the year. Three foot drifts, bright icing on the junipers and rooftops, thin winter sun sparkling on the new white canvas of the landscape, pale pink-yellow evening light, delicious desserts for the eyes and the mind.
k

Nightcap #5: Bear head and a coffee table

2010-12-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, it's only Thursday but this table couldn't wait. Seen at the Lakeside Inn in New Buffalo, Michigan this week during SOFA's annual meeting. I'm not sure if it was inspiring or frightful, but will let you know once I decide.

k

Branding package for artist Jennifer Day

2010-12-15T14:30:00.008-07:00

We've had so much fun working with Santa Fe artist and art quilter Jennifer Day on her branding package, from choosing engaging fonts reminiscent of hand-sewn threads to pouring over Jennifer's absolutely amazing intricately detailed thread painting and free-motion embroidery. Here are the stationery and postcard below, for a quick peek. Jennifer's coordinating website, which will also feature her photography and interior design, and building signage, are more designs the way from us to you in January.

-KC

Event Ninjas

2010-12-11T16:05:00.001-07:00

Kristin and I try to encourage each other to put the mouse down and pick up a pencil every once in a while for design. It's not often as easy as we hope, but sometimes the right project comes along and we get to revisit our fine art backgrounds.

She recently had the opportunity to hand-draw these fun Event Ninjas for an events company promotional t-shirt. Aren't they a killer?

-Jackie

Nightcap #4: Lost in Austin

2010-12-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

Wandering Congress in Austin, TX, we spotted these great vintage flashcards at Uncommon Objects antiques and oddities shop today. Along with antique French bath product labels, stamps, and postcards, these cards spurred a great session of brainstorming and idea-making on our current rebranding project for Very Important Events in Seattle. Stay tuned for a sneak peek of our design drafts in January. (We also admit to being nicely sidetracked by a tray of old gold lockets.)

j and k

SOFA Chicago 2010 Wrap Report

2010-12-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time gathering quotes and hearing feedback from the dealers during SOFA Chicago 2010 + The Intuit Show at Chicago's Navy Pier in November, and crafting their opinions of the success of the fair into the SOFA wrap report. Have a read on the SOFA website: Click here to see the wrap report.

Trekking through more than 70 booths to keep abreast of sales, artist talks, tv crews, and crowds as I assisted with PR the weekend of the show kept me busy in the enormous Festival Hall. I was amazed to see so many large scale new works on display, by established and emerging artists alike. I also enjoyed observing the ever-changing ways that traditional and alternative materials were being pushed to further limits and evolving into new techniques by artists from across the globe. Experiencing so much first-hand in the current market for sculptural and functional art was hugely rewarding, and I'm looking forward to SOFA New York April 14-17 and SOFA WEST Santa Fe August 4-7. Hope to see you there!

-KC

Nightcap #3: Fonts around Town Lake

2010-12-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

Walking the 4 mile loop around Town Lake in Austin, we spotted this great assortment of fonts that can't help but be noticed:
-The old Austin Power Plant in its Gothic typeset glory
-Graffiti on the bridge. How do they get up there?
-Rock writing.

j and k

Nightcap #2: Welcome, winter

2010-11-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! This weekend, I enjoyed one of the last times of the year I'll be able to hike in Pecos before the roads are closed for snow till April. Seeing the aspens bare, white, and stripped of their fall foliage made me realize winter is almost here. The cool sun on the trunks and walking among the tall white poles all day was quiet, calming, and of course inspiring.

k

Nightcap #1: November sunsets in the desert

2010-11-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

One thing that inspired me this week: brilliant autumn sunsets in the crisp evening air, as seen after my jog (which has to end by 5:30 this time of year). Late afternoon in fall is one of the things I love most.
k

American Lung Association Climb for Clean Air 2011

2010-11-19T16:51:00.001-07:00

We have been happily working away in recent weeks on these materials for the American Lung Association's 2011 Climb for Clean Air. The blues and greens of the color scheme convey the fresh, energized feeling of clean, cool, mountain air. Color is also used inside the brochure to organize two distinct halves, with information about two separate climb programs. The font was chosen to replicate the physical feeling of hiking to the summit of the formidable Mt. Rainier. (It seems the technical graphic term is "distressed!") All photos in these pieces are photos of real-life 2010 climbers: hats off to you all, and best luck in 2011. These climbers are all wonders unto themselves, and we applaud anyone who steps up for this challenge in the name of such a great cause. Visit www.climbforcleanair.com to learn more.
K & J

BROCHURE: OUTSIDE

BROCHURE: INSIDE

POSTER:

Thoughts on the way

2010-11-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

Excitedly launching a new blog of THINK Creative Consulting! You can now also find us online under www.thinkallday.com.

What you'll find here:

Visit these pages to find the things that inspire us that are NOT found on the computer, things we touch, feel, experience, or taste first-hand in our day-to-day lives, work, travels, and homes. We look forward to providing you with a glimpse into our ever-working minds, notepads, and sketchbooks, and what keeps the wheels turning on your wonderful projects while they are entrusted to our pens and our hands.

We are also happy to introduce a new Friday feature focused on those topics listed above. The feature might be called The Night Cap, or The Think Cap. We are thinking about it.

As we celebrate 5 years in business in Santa Fe (and one year in Austin!) this winter, we are kicking off our 6th year with the concept Retrospective.

retrospective |ˌretrəˈspektiv|adjectivelooking back

Our work in 2011 will of course offer the website, PR, and digital graphic design work for which you know us so well. It will also focus on projects that take a step back from the digital design and production process and somehow pull us away from the computer in the process of making. We want parts, aspects, pieces, and wholes of our projects this year to reflect on tactile materials, traditional print methods, hand-drawn illustration, hand-stitched bindings, small book formats, handmade papers. These works, with the touch of the handmade, will become objects which we hope will inspire you not only to see but also to touch and experience.

We are conjuring up a special reward for the first 5 projects in the new year that commit to giving us free rein with alternative materials, techniques, and longer production timeframes than you get with a strictly digital piece of work, allowing us to produce with love and care something that really will make people stop and... think.

With smiles,
Kristin + Jackie

www.thinkallday.com

SOFA Chicago 2010

2010-11-08T00:40:00.007-07:00

SOFA Chicago 2010, with over 30,000 attendees and a wonderful reception from the press, was a big success! Congrats to all involved. I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with The Art Fair Company for PR on this SOFA show as well as the SOFA WEST 2010 Santa Fe show this summer. Learn more about SOFA (Sculpture Objects and Functional Art Fair) at www.sofaexpo.com -KC

Winter Fairytale: Eileen West holiday season

2010-11-02T10:06:00.003-06:00

Winter fairytale slideshow for the Eileen West holiday season.

Check out these gorgeous new photos: www.eileenwest.com

Event in Istanbul: Cevahir 5th Anniversary with Cardstacker Bryan Berg

2010-10-10T10:26:00.003-06:00

I had the opportunity to travel to Istanbul, Turkey this month to manage PR for a special event at Europe's largest shopping centre, for the Cevahir 5th Anniversary with Cardstacker Bryan Berg. The press and audience response were amazing, as was personally visiting Istanbul's famous historic architecture. -KC

Akumal, Mexico vacation website for Vista del Mar

2010-09-30T08:42:00.003-06:00

Welcome to our first 100% WordPress powered fully client-update capable CMS (Content Management System) custom website. Organized in a clean, simple architecture that makes browsing and booking easy for clients, and updating and additions easy for the owner, the site has already received lots of complements from its patrons. The design reflects the calm and relaxation customers search for in an ideal vacation with ocean blue and white colors, combined with a bit of Mexican beach fun with colorful local photos and hand-drawn illustrations of sun, wind, and waves. Visit at: www.akumalinfo.com

Desert Son of Santa Fe Website Launch

2010-09-17T15:33:00.013-06:00

THINK happily announces a new website for Desert Son of Santa Fe, a retailer of US and European hard-to-find handmade leather goods. Set on chocolate brown with sepia rollovers and gold accents, the layout subtley plays on the warmth of the leather products being showcased as well as references the New Mexico landscape. Throughout the interior pages, designers' names light up when selected, and the organization of the site throughout is based on the designers themselves. Have a look at scores of products online, and visit proprietor Mindy Adler on Canyon Rd. for custom fittings and orders: www.desertsonofsantafe.com

Enchanted by Queen Anne's Lace

2010-09-08T09:56:00.002-06:00

Get a glimpse of Eileen West's romantic gown in this autumn's Queen Anne's Lace collection, photographed in the beautiful treelined fields of Sonoma, California and shown in our Season's Pick feature on the EW website: www.eileenwest.com/shop

Horse Thoughts: New Blog for Cauda Equina Arts

2010-08-26T10:37:00.001-06:00

Shelly Gibbs of Cauda Equina Arts has enlisted THINK to help her join the blog world, where she offers insightful and caring advice about the world of horses. Enjoy her kind words (which, a few weeks later, we can attest she has diligently been updating with heartfelt accounts on a regular basis): http://caudaequinaarts.blogspot.com/

Italian Romance by Eileen West

2010-08-24T16:48:00.004-06:00

Have a look at the beautiful new Italian Romance collection of gowns and blouses with Venise lace and shell button detailing by Eileen West in our new slideshow for autumn, which we recently added to the Eileen West homepage: www.eileenwest.com

Don't Miss Ron Nagle "Spit Shine"

2010-08-11T08:33:00.002-06:00

While updating Garth Clark and Mark Del Vecchio's website and preparing their email blast, we couldn't help but notice the deservedly glowing endorsement of Ron Nagle's exhibit "Spit Shine" at James Kelly Contemporary in the Railyard. Don't miss it- showing through Sept. 25. Read more: www.clarkdel.com

2010 Trek Tri-Island t-shirt for American Lung Association

2010-08-05T18:05:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to the American Lung Association on their 28th annual Trek Tri-Island in the San Juan Islands off the Washington coast. As they say so well on their event website, "Why spend your vacation lounging when you could soak up the picturesque beauty of the Pacific Northwest from the seat of your bicycle? Join the American Lung Association in Washington in fighting for air by participating in the 28th Annual TrekTri-Island, September 11-13." We are honored to have designed this year's t-shirt, including hand-drawn illustrations by THINK's Jackie McCormick.

CeramoFile: Garth Clark's new custom blog

2010-07-30T18:06:00.002-06:00

Tackling Blogger's new custom editing tools in July, we custom designed this special blog layout for modern and contemporary ceramics scholar Garth Clark to best coordinate with the Clark+DelVecchio website THINK designed in 2009. Keep an eye out as Garth's restless pen goes into motion on the web in weeks to come.

Read the blog online at: http://www.ceramofile.blogspot.com/

Visit the Clark+DelVecchio website (also by THINK) at: http://www.clarkdel.com/

New Flash website for photographer Bradyn Podhajsky

2010-07-28T10:02:00.001-06:00

We happily share with you a beautiful new Flash website for Denver-based photographer Bradyn Podhajsky. Designed with a contemporary, architectural aesthetic to compliment the client's own design background and best showcase his images, the combination of bright color blocks against muted gray background features Bradyn's work in landscape, wedding, and newborn photography. Features of the site include swipe animation across the screen on the homepage and introducing each sub-section of the site, and custom vertical push/scroll thumbnail reel on each portfolio page.

Visit the site online at: www.contentcreativeonline.com

SOFA WEST: it's a wrap!

2010-07-21T12:15:00.002-06:00

With success in increased press coverage, sales up, and paid attendance increased by 25% this year, I am very proud to have been a part of public relations efforts for this year's SOFA WEST. Assisting Barbara Smythe-Jones of SOFA, I worked as the local Santa Fe PR agent to gain comprehensive regional print and radio coverage. What our art dealers are saying about the show. -KC

SOFA WEST: the wall of press clippings

2010-07-08T11:03:00.002-06:00

SOFA Sculpture Objects and Functional Art fair is the preeminent expo of contemporary ceramic, fiber, metal, and wood artwork worldwide. Showing in New York City and Chicago since the early 1990's, the fair added Santa Fe as its western outpost in 2009 and returned this year for a second go. 2009 attendance blew the expected 2,000 out of the water with over 10,000 visitors to the fair. This year's expo represents over 540 top artists, 85 of whom will be on-site from across the US, Japan, Australia, Italy, England, Belgium, and Germany to speak about their work. There is also a native pottery symposium with scholars Garth Clark and Bruce Bernstein and a host of lectures and special events with artists throughout the week. I have been working as the regional PR person for the show, and wanted to share a few pictures of progress to date. SOFA WEST is at the Santa Fe Convention Center July 8-11 noon-6pm daily. Join us! -KC

Wall of SOFA WEST press clippings so far, as of today!

The Santa Fe New Mexican newsstand, image of Klaus Moje's glasswork (represented at SOFA WEST by Bullseye Glass. Artist will attend SOFA WEST, traveling to Santa Fe from Australia.)

Handsome 25-page 100% editorial supplement by the Santa Fe New Mexican.

A pair of THINK clients, Garth Clark and Mark Del Vecchio prepare their booth before SOFA opening night July 7th. www.clarkdel.com

SOFA WEST arrives at Santa Fe Convention Center!

SOFA WEST Santa Fe afterparty poster

2010-07-06T10:08:00.002-06:00

Having had the great pleasure of working on regional public relations for SOFA WEST this year in print and radio, I have also planned an exciting lineup of local artists, musicians, and dancers for an outdoor afterparty on Saturday, July 10.

In conjunction, we have designed this special poster for the event, featuring hand-drawn illustrations by THINK designer Jackie McCormick.

Enjoy, and hope to see you at SOFA on the 10th! -KC

Big Buzz: SOFA WEST press coverage so far

2010-06-30T10:48:00.014-06:00

I am honored to be working as the local Santa Fe PR agent, assisting Barbara Smythe-Jones of SOFA, for publicity of the SOFA WEST Santa Fe art fair this year. A look at the big buzz of our key press coverage to date. See you at the fair July 8-11 at Santa Fe Convention Center, open from 12-6pm daily. -KC

Website launch for Malika Healey Contemporary Oil Pastels

2010-06-17T11:34:00.000-06:00

The rich colors and textures of Malika Healey's contemporary oil pastels were a lovely canvas to work with for her new website design. Our design was created to maximize the size and experience of the artwork on the screen, with inobtrusive side menus and gray sidebars, sans serif logo, and simple yet colorful thumbnail based navigation of the portfolio.

See three years of Malika's beautiful work online at: www.mmhealey.com

American Lung Association Climb for Clean Air T-Shirt

2010-06-04T09:18:00.004-06:00

We happily present the final design for ALA's 2010 Climb for Clean Air t-shirt, celebrating a 4-day hike to the summit of Mt. Rainier---a fundraiser for research on lung cancer and air quality in the U.S.

Using imagery of the iconic Seattle skyline and a silhouette of Mt. Rainier appearing behind, a series of hikers are shown passing landmark points on the trail, complete with elevations all the way to the peak. This is a longsleeve tee design, since even in July the climbers will encounter snow.

Wishing best luck and happy climbing!

Jackie McCormick Joins the Team!

2010-05-15T09:29:00.002-06:00

Margo Valiante Sticker. Hand-drawn illustrations and design by Jackie McCormick.

THINK Creative Consulting is happy to announce that as of spring 2010 Jackie McCormick has officially joined the team as a talented designer, programmer, and writer. With a degree in art history and visual arts from the University of San Diego, Jackie brings her visual sensibilities as a painter and jeweler to her graphic design endeavors. She is skilled in Adobe CS5, the industry-standard software suite we use, and has special strengths in Illustrator, Flash, and WordPress-based custom Content Management Systems for blogs and websites. She is also a seasoned writer and editor with experience in press releases and radio spots. She divides her time between Austin and Santa Fe.

Working together on a variety of projects since 2006, Jackie and Kristin are delighted about this new level of collaboration and the imaginative possibilities the two of them can offer THINK clients together. Please visit our website at www.thinkcreativeconsulting.com later this summer to see more new portfolio additions including Jackie's beautiful work.

Earth Day Recycling Awareness Project: Vancouver Island

2010-04-18T09:35:00.003-06:00

Happy Earth Day! I'm onsite at a project for Ivanhoe Cambridge, managing an Earth Day recycling awareness project on Vancouver Island. Artist Bryan Berg is building a city skyline using over 22,000 gift cards collected from vendors on the island this year. My role is to handle contract negotiations between the artist and client, plan the exhibit design with the client, and assist with press events and kids' workshops onsite. What a beautiful place to celebrate preserving the earth.

-KC

Ten Days in Beijing

2010-03-30T10:29:00.000-06:00

The Guinness World Record PR campaign I've been managing at The Venetian Macao has ended after 45 days of hard work with Bryan Berg and The Venetian team, and I'm in Beijing for ten days: hutongs, dumplings, incredibly sculpted tofu Peking duck, The Great Wall, Forbidden City, tai chi in the gardens, walks by the lakes. I was able to meet curator (and my Columbia classmate) Katherine Don at Opposite House for a drink to discuss her latest work with Chinese Contemporary art. Read my interview with Kat here, on the Diana Center for the Arts Graduate Forum: http://dianacentergraduateforum.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/a-move-across-the-globe-katherine-don-’03-in-china/

-KC

Exploring Tibet

2010-03-06T09:55:00.002-07:00

During my two weeks off from PR and events management for the new world record at The Venetian Macao, I explored Tibet with my mom. It is really, really cold this time of year, but the colors, people, and lifestyle are absolutely incredible to experience. We have visited quite a number of temples and holy sites as well as Mt. Everest base camp. There is a lot of driving involved, and although our driver doesn't speak a word of English he can sing along perfectly to his Michael Jackson Ultimate cassette (which we listened to for about 6 hours a day, 10 days straight, on the road to Everest and back). I have tried the rancid yak butter tea; mom did not. We have slept in hotels in sleeping bags and with as many blankets as they can bring us each night, often with candles for light and a hot thermos for any and all water related needs. Food is plain rice, scallions, plain noodles, scallions, fried eggs, scallions, red chile spice. Mom's first travel out of the U.S. has been extreme.

-KC

Chinese New Year in Macau

2010-02-19T10:09:00.001-07:00

Surrounded by lion dance parades, incense, and a multitude of fireworks, I'm spending Chinese New Year in Macau having dim sum for breakfast and high tea for lunch. I'm here managing a new Guinness World Records PR campaign for The Venetian Macao Resort-Hotel, the largest casino in the world. Artist Bryan Berg is creating their properties out of freestanding playing cards over the course of 45 days. Please visit our special project website to see daily images and learn more: www.venetianmacaohouseofcards.com

-KC

American Lung Association climb up Mt. Rainier

2009-12-03T05:28:00.001-07:00

What an adventure and life-time accomplishment for these dedicated climbers! I've been working on a suite of materials for the American Lung Association's Climb for Clean Air fundraising event, and this is the latest in the series.

Clark + Del Vecchio at Burning Man

2009-11-25T12:01:00.002-07:00

We have begun a weekly campaign of Clark + Del Vecchio newsbriefs, integrated with the recent THINK website redesign implemented in early 2009. Each brief consists of an e-card, new entry in the News section of the site, and fresh image on the homepage. Our launch of the campaign, above, is based on one of my favorite images: The gallery owners at Burning Man 2009. In an effort to stay in touch with clients on a regular basis with news that is not always all business, and to keep the website an ever-changing and fun place to visit, this was a strong start!

See the site for yourself at: www.clarkdel.com

Eileen West cozy winter bedding

2009-11-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

Eileen West introduced a new line of bedding this month, and lovely photos to accompany it. Updating the website with the new collection was done with special attention to showing off the lace, satin, and embroidery details that this designer is known for. See the website, also designed by THINK this summer, and other EW collections at: www.eileenwest.com

Blossom website launched

2009-11-20T11:45:00.017-07:00

I had such an enjoyable time designing the website, advertising, business card, and other branding materials for a Santa Fe flower essence practitioner recently. Jane has beautiful taste in imagery, and a fresh, fun style.

Please enjoy her new website!
www.janeellenblossom.com

Keycard Hotel travels to Washington, DC

2009-11-12T20:30:00.029-07:00

The Holiday Inn keycard hotel, Bryan Berg, the crew, and I traveled to DC for a second exhibit this week. The 4,000 pound project, which was displayed in New York City in September, made its second public appearance in the capitol for the Intercontinental Hotel Groups (owner of the Holiday Inn and eight other brands) global conference to great reception.

Left, the press conference.

We were able to enjoy a bit of the mild DC weather, sightings of the national monuments at night, and wonderful French and Spanish food in Georgetown after work.

Left, Bryan teaches USA Today travel journalist Barb DeLollis how to cardstack.

Left, Holiday Inn and Intercontinental executives prepare to toss keycards at Bryan's freestanding structure.

Cauda Equina horse work video

2009-11-12T08:18:00.013-07:00

Shelly Gibbs and her inspiring work with horses are now online in video form, added to her website, which THINK originally designed in spring of 2009:

www.caudaequinaarts.com/video.html

American Lung Association climb to the summit

2009-11-10T09:26:00.002-07:00

Learning about Honorary Chair Lou Whittaker and his accomplishments leading hikers to the world's tallest summits has been fascinating. This poster is in final design stages and will be printed and circulated in January 2010.

Eileen West autumn collection

2009-11-06T11:32:00.003-07:00

Watch a video slideshow of the 2009 Magic of Autumn sleepwear and black label dress collection, with music recently added, on the Eileen West homepage! Be sure to click through all the collections and enjoy the full THINK designed website launched in summer 2009: www.eileenwest.com

American Lung Association postcard featured

2009-11-02T18:39:00.009-07:00

The THINK design of the American Lung Association's postcard for 2010 Climb for Clean Air up Mount Rainier is featured on The Ron and Don Show website; take a look!

Blossom business cards

2009-10-30T16:17:00.003-06:00

Using the same rich, inviting peony image on the front and back, this business card design reverses the color scheme on each side for an eye-catching twist intended as a study in opposites and balance.

The Women's Conference, Hosted by Maria Shriver & Arnold Schwarzenegger

2009-10-27T16:01:00.001-06:00

I flew to the Long Beach Convention Center outside Los Angeles, California this week to join over 10,000 attendees at The Women's Conference. The event offered speaker panels, book signings, and a trade show. I worked on a booth event for the Memphis Fed Ex headquarters team with Cardstacker (photo below). See Christopher Schwarzenegger on the far right! And, I indulged in a bit of good food and travel writing. Find my news article, photos, and restaurant reviews on Examiner.com.

A new name for Ashtangaway

2009-10-15T14:43:00.003-06:00

Yoga instructor Jennifer Morrison recently went on the road with her teachings and practice, from Santa Fe to Vermont, Australia and New Zealand. She updated her business name to reflect the change, and THINK updated the website and business cards that I first created for Jennifer in 2008 to match.

I invite you to browse Jennifer's site and beautiful photography, as well as look for updates on her blog. She will be teaching and studying in Australia and New Zealand for the next three months, and then returning to Vermont and Maine.

www.ashtangaway.com

THINK's New Downtown Location

2009-10-14T22:08:00.020-06:00

I'm excited to announce that the office has moved downtown as of Thursday, October 15, 2009. It's wonderful to be in a historic adobe building with brick floors, wood vigas, thick walls, and windows open in autumn - listening to the leaves blow in across the floor. I look forward to seeing you or hearing from you in the new space!

Directions
Map

-Kristin Carlson, Owner