:: A Winter Welcome ::

WOW is the only way I can describe the weather outside today . . . I am sitting at home bundled up in my snowboard pants and a sweat shirt as I look out my studio window and watch the snow blow outside. The first snowfall of the winter for us here in Lethbridge was a pleasent experience, it dusted the ground lightly and was gone within a few days when the chinook winds blew in from the west. But today is a new day . . . my car is drifted in, I can see patches of my walkway in front of my house whereas other patches are close to 3' high . . . gotta love snowy and windy Lethbridge. If you have ever been to Lethbridge you understand what I mean (especially right at the moment). When wind and snow mix together it becomes a bloody nightmare! If the snow just fell and piles up that would be fine, I could shovel the sidewalk periodically and the walls of snow would build but at least I could get where I am going outside . . . the snow and I could coincide with each other peacefully.

This is not the case, I as dream of being in another place and time this is what I am challenged with:





I can honestly say the images clearly do not do the weather outside my window justice, but you get the idea. It's a blizzard with 45 km winds it is pretty much completely pointless at this point in time to try and shovel my walkway when the snow just blows right back over where it was shoveled 5 mins prior. However I am thankful that the snow here is light and dry and venturing outside does not leave me soaked from head to toe like my native Vancouver Island snowfalls.

To add the bliss I know as Alberta winters (sense the sarcasm) Brad's 4x4 which is our only mode of transportation during times like this is now in the shop with the motor being taken apart (with 36 hours of repair time ahead for Brad, did I say THANK GOD HE'S A MECHANIC!). Needless to say when it rains it pours . . . I know the blessings will come, until then I will pray the nothing else bad comes my way . . .

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

:: Its been a while ::

Hi fellow bloggers,

I am sorry I haven't been posting to regularly . . . it's been a busy couple of months. So is everyone as excited for the holiday season as me? Brad and I are going to leave Lethbridge on the 22nd of December to head to the beautiful Vancouver Island to spend this Christmas with my family in Duncan. I am very excited about it and have already begun to pray for good weather during our travels through the mountains. Driving isn't our first choice for transportation during the winter months but at this time Brad and I can't afford to fly so we going to make the best of it and drive the 16 hours. Who doesn't love a good road trip anyways.

In June when I was on the island for Mikey's Graduation I drove by myself to the island and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. It was nice to have 16 hours alone with my thoughts and I spent a good majority of the time listening to an audio book I had borrowed from the Library called "The Host". I the book was written by the same author as the Twilight series Stephenie Meyer and I am proud to report it was also an amazing book! I was hesitant to read it to begin with thinking I wouldn't like it's more futuristic plot line but I was astonished at how much I liked it, even loved it! I recommend it highly as a good read if you have read the Twilight series and are looking for a book that will even compare with the emotional attachment you had with the Twilight series this is the book to read. It has nothing to do about vampires or is even remotely similar to twilight, new moon, eclipse or breaking dawn but it is equally as engaging.



Here is a link to the book, if you are interested in learning more:The Host

Now that I am in the mood to talk about books A few other on my list to buy and or read are:

1. House of Night series (now in costco, the first 6 books in the series, apparenltly there are 12 in total), The books are called:

* Marked, 1st Book


* Betrayed , 2nd Book
* Chosen, 3rd Book
* Untamed, 4th Book
* Hunted, 5th Book
* Tempted, 6th Book
* Burned, 7th Book (April 27, 2010)
* Stolen, 8th Book
* Burdened, 9th Book
* Touched, 10th Book
* Cloaked, 11th Book
* Wanted, 12th Book

2. Listography, anyone who loves making lists like myself, YOU NEED THIS BOOK to create lists but in a memorable way.



3. 1000 Fonts.


I think everyone who has any interest in design should own this book, because all truly good design has good typography! you can have a beautiful magazine cover and add bad typography and ruin the whole thing. Brad often thinks I am crazy cause I can name most fonts i see used around town on tv etc. It is my personal goal to be able to learn a font a day for the next year. I know this may sound weird to most people out there but Typography is my passion and I would love to be more of a type naming genius then I can already be credited for! Show me a type and I'll give you it's name!

Well I think that is all I have to share at the moment, until we meet again please post book suggestions too and any comments on the ones I mentioned I would love to know what you who are listening think!

enjoi!

My Beautiful Babies . . .

So I recently borrowed my friends very expensive camera for some freelance work and I decided since I had it handy I would capture some shots of my growing family . . . aka my animals Georgia, Snaggle, Burton and our newest edition (she came with the addition of Brad aka the marriage lol) Shelby. Our 2 dogs and 2 cats.

Each animal has such a wonderful personality I wanted to capture each of them just the way they are today so I can always remember each one of them. Here are the photos:

Burton
Burton is a purebred Beagle. Good-natured, full of energy, great with people, LOVES TO BARK (not a good thing, for us and neighbors), always can count on him for a good cuddle and to sneak up onto the bed numerous times during the night even after being constantly pushed off. Burton lives to the tune of his own drum, often reminds me of myself . . . he is not very obedient, loud and doesn't take orders without a little bit of a fight, but at the same time he is sweet and so darn cute it's hard to be mad at him for long.



Shelby
Shelby is a purebred Border Collie. She is very shy and passive except when it comes to sharing her food. She is strong and happy and listens very well without having to ask twice. She is smart and protective and just a very easy-going dog. She is Brad's farm dog who has adapted to our home life in town very well and I think she enjoys having a place to finally settle down at.



Georgia
Georgia is a beautifully coloured orange cat. Contrary to the name Georgia is a BOY. And he is also an American! My mother spent 5 years living in Atlanta, Georgia on the East coast of the US, while living there her friend saved 2 kittens from getting put down and my mother always being creative with the names of things named them Georgia and Snagglepuss. I asked my mom later "Why did you name the boy Georgia mom?" and she replied "after the red Georgian dirt Steph." To this day I still don't quite get why we just didn't just call him Dirt then . . . anyways Georgia is a "simple" cat, I think his name has left him with some issues and he does funny things all the time which I can't explain. He is my little mountain lion. Georgia likes to cuddle and is the friendliest out of all the animals. He has no fear and will approach anyone to say hi. He is a great cat, when he has to go pee he goes outside, when he needs to seat he lets me know and when my car rounds the courner to park in front of the house after work he always comes running to greet me. I love this cat!



Snaggle
Snaggle is the little sister to Georgia. She is my princess. It is hard for most to beieve but her and Georgia are in fact from the same litter, however are polar opposites, she is white and small and he is huge and orange. Snaggle despite her not so pretty name is a delicate and gentle cat. She is friendly when she is similar with you and is easily frightened with new people and new things going on around her. The photo below sums up the essence that is "Snaggle". I was trying to get a good photo of her but instead am left with the photo below, although blurry I think it is perfect. Snaggle was afraid of the camera and every time the flash went off she bolted. She is a very good-natured cat, she is kind and sweet and like to cuddle and be held on her own schedule and not yours. She is the hunter and always leaves "presents" on my front step. And I can always count on her greeting me at my car door after work too!



Enjoi.

Baby Naomi

October 6, 2009. Naomi Lynn Gary was born.

I am blessed to be an aunty again! (My twin cousin and maid of honour Erika welcomed her 4th child) I know this post is a little late but like I said in the previous post life has been a little busy.

While I was in BC to see my grandpa I was also able to meet for the first time my very newborn neice Naomi Lynn. Erika Gave birth while grandpa was in the hospital and was actually on the same floor too so when I arrived on Wednesday October 7th, I was able to also slip in and see her too. I am happy I was able to share in her arrival with Erika and Reed too. God has good timing I guess. Here is a photo my aunt Joanne took in the hospital the night I arrived when I met Naomi for the first time:

My appologies . . .

I am sending my sincere appologies out to all of my blog followers, It has been to long since my last post! But here I am now and I have a lot to share with you.

It has been a long month to say the least. I have been emotionally and physically exhausted, and I would like to share with you some of the ups and downs of the past month.

Well at the beginning of the month work was busy, we had just put our publication SAM to bed and then I had a huge advertising campaign that had to be completed in one day. We had not planned the ad campaign to be designed in one day but due to the publication taking up a bunch of time and me myself planning to head back to the coast for thanksgiving, time ran out and I had 24 hours to complete the campaign of aprox. 48 ads! Yes I am not kidding 48 ads!! (I have talked more about the ad campaign and the publication in my previous posts)

I didn't think it was possible but Jana and I completed the campaign, I had to pull an all-nighter and almost cried from exhaustion but we did it and I can now add "48 ads in 24hrs" to my list of accomplishments, although i don't want to ever do that again and I mean NEVER!

Anyways now I have my designs on the sides of buses, bus shelters and billboard from here to Edmonton and I feel a little proud ...

So after the ad campaign was completed I was off to the coast for Thankgiving and to more importantly see my Grandpa.

I had planned my trip to BC about a month prior after finding out my grandpa had in-operable liver cancer. They had given him six months to live and I really felt like I had to get there as soon as I could so I booked my trip, only to receive a call 3 days before I was to fly out to BC that my grandpa was hospitalized and he wasn't going to make it too much longer. I have thanked God everyday since for giving me the guidance and opportunity to come sooner then Christmas (which is when Brad and I had originally planned on going to the coast). When I flew in on Wednesday evening I rushed from Victoria straight to the Cowichan Valley Hospital in Duncan so I could say goodbye to my gramps. And I am more then happy to say I was able to do that, when I arrived at the hospital I was able to hold his hand and he said "I am glad you are here now I can go" then gramps went to sleep. I didn't get the hear his voice again as we all sat beside him for the next day and a bit, we shared memories and spent some really great time as a family together. Then Friday morning he left our world to be with the Lord. I am really going to miss him . . .

So the following week was spent planning and preparing for the memorial and celebration of his life. It was a hard week but I am truly blessed that even though it was a time of great loss God blessed me with the opportunity to reconnect with my family on my dad's side. I was able to remember how much I really and truly love my family and how blessed I am to have each and everyone one of them in my life. God is amazing and I was reminded of that.

I built a slideshow for my grandpa's memorial and I would like to share it with you now, he was a good man and I was not surprised so many people got up to speak about his and remember him at the memorial. He will be missed by many . . .

:: Exciting Projects :: SAM

As most as you have probably already gathered I am a designer or an "artiste" for those of you who know me well, so bare with me as I have been writing a lot about work latley and design projects I am working on currently. Lately I have had the opportunity to work on some really great projects, some of the projects have become like my children and one in particular I am expecting in the mail anyway!!

In a designers life there are moments that are like Christmas at least a half dozen times a year and I am hoping today or Monday is one of those days. I am awaiting the arrival of SAM. SAM is not a person but rather the magazine I just spent the last solid month working on. SAM is the premier addition of the University of Lethbridge magazine, SAM is the new university magazine replacing or rather combining 2 previous publications that came out quarterly and annually into one super magazine that comes out three times a year. But this is the very first issue!! And it is due to arrive in the mail anyway! I cannot describe the feeling I have when the box arrives and I life the publication out off the box!! It's a make-my-day kind of feeling and it's exciting!

This publication is very exciting to me for many reasons . . . The photos are amazing and I had fun art directing with Rod Leland (www.rodleland.com) the publications feature photographer, we did this shot at 10:00pm at night in the coulees south of Lethbridge at the astronomy centre and all I can say is it is awesome!! Great work Rod! Secondly the publication is also amazing because I had the opportunity to have an old and very talented friend (Dale! www.dng23.com)from the coast do some custom illustrations for us for the Epigenetics section of the publication. and Thirdly I am reminded of all of the talented and remarkable people I have the chance to work with here at the University every time I open the book.

SAM rocks! I will post a link to the publication one we have it online! so stay posted! Until then here is a tiny sneak of the cover! with a painting featured from or University of Lethbridge Art Collection.

Going Provincial!!

As a kid I always wanted to be an artist, then in high school I defined it more specifically to a "Commercial Artist". The in University I realized I wanted to be a "Designer" and not a "Visual Artist" I wanted to be the designer behind magazine layouts, kick-ass advertising campaigns and truly great logos. And in the back of my mind I always had a little wish list of projects I wanted to work on throughout my career as little one offs just to say I did. Things like, design a giant check, create a billboard, make something with a die-cut, use metallic ink, embossing, and foil stamping, design an entire magazine from scratch, and design the side of a bus!

The best part about looking back on my short but sweet career so far is that I have to start a new list of "to-dos" already. In the past 4 years I have been able to check all of the above off my list and on the 19th I am going provincial!! I love my job! (most days)

On the 19th of October we are launching a advertising campaign for the recruitment department on campus working with Pattison Advertising my design will now be spread through southern Alberta on the sides of buses, on bus shelters and on billboards! (I had already completed campaigns in Edmonton and northern Alberta in previous years)

So needless to say It is pretty exciting to be able to drive to Calgary and see stuff you have designed. I am truly blessed.

Everyday I am thankful that I had a teacher named Mrs. Faulks in High school that taught me to follow my passion and that Art didn't just have to be a hobby. She inspired me and molded me into the artist I am today. Thanks Mrs. Faulks!